Poles Apart
by Slytherin99
Summary: Snape survived, but in a coma. Headmistress McGonagall arranges for a Russian professor to take over teaching potions, but she has some secrets of her own...and that's only the beginning of the story. Post DH, mostly compliant, perhaps AU, with several OCs. Rated M for safety. Chapter 6-10 revised 1/30/15.
1. Announcement-Please Read

Hi there!

This isn't really a new chapter for Poles Apart, but an announcement. Over the next month or so, I will be re-posting the entire story, separated into 5 chapter chunks of approximately 20,000-25,000 words. I decided to do this in an effort to make the story more mobile device friendly.

Once the mobile friendly chapters are all up, I will be taking the rest of it down, leaving only the mobile-friendly story.

In the process, I'm doing yet more revising, adding details (and fixing mistakes-argh!) as I go. Lots of work, but it pleases the muse greatly. I am but a humble servant.

As usual, I welcome any input from my readers on this. You're the best!

~Slytherin99


	2. Chapter 1 to 5

~Chapter 1~

October 31, 1979, 40 miles southeast of Moscow~

The sun had set nearly three hours ago, but the light from burning houses turned the skies as red as if it were just sundown. Black smoke rose lazily toward the treetops before being whisked off by the bitter wind.

"You have the locket?"

"I do, my lord." The Death Eater said, bowing low before his master as he offered the box.

"Excellent." Voldemort hissed, accepting it and tucking it into his robes, then surveying the others. "Leave young Malfoy and Snape to clean up the survivors, if there are any. We return now."

"As you direct, my lord."

With a swirl of black smoke, the Dark Lord was gone, along with several of the other Death Eaters. Rupert Brodey turned to the two young men with a disapproving scowl.

"You two heard our lord." He said coldly. "Clean up this mess. Don't get caught by the Aurors while you're doing it."

"But sir, the revels-"

Brodey turned to glare at Lucius Malfoy, who swallowed nervously, involuntarily taking a step back.

"You are still too young to attend." He said in a cold voice, sniffing dismissively. "Fresh out of Hogwarts, the two of you, and barely able to raise enough whiskers to shave. You will do as you're told."

"Yes, sir." Lucius sighed, glancing at Severus with a frown.

With a curt nod, Brodey was gone in a swirl of smoke.

With a dramatic sigh, Lucius rolled his eyes at Severus.

"What a git. I'm off to Moscow, Sev." He smirked. "Have a date in an hour."

"Lucius, we need to check for survivors." Snape pointed out, gesturing toward the smoking ruins of the mansion with his wand. "We have our orders-"

"Orders be damned." Malfoy sighed. "I'm going to be late for my date if I stay. Be a good sport and cover for me, would you?"

With a grudging sigh, Severus nodded.

"Good man." Lucius said, clapping him on the shoulder. "There's nothing here you can't handle. Perhaps a few werewolves, but you have experience taking care of those, don't you?"

Severus flinched visibly at that mention of werewolves, gritting his teeth at the memory of his experiences with them so far.

With a _crack_, Lucius apparated away, leaving his friend and cohort alone in the dark woods. The snow was nearly knee deep by now in places, driven as it was by the howling winds that cut through the thin black robes Severus wore like a knife despite the warming charms he'd cast.

_He would have stood up his date in a heartbeat if he'd been invited to the revel tonight_, thought Severus bitterly, kicking at a bit of snow with his dragonhide boot. _Always pushing things off on me. Some friend Malfoy is._

With a disgusted sigh, he began to trudge through the snow toward the smoking ruins of the nearest house. Pulling his cowl of his robe up to give some protection against the weather, he renewed his warming charms, hoping he would be able to apparate home soon. Winters in Russia weren't pleasant in the city, let alone this desolate country area. The ancient trees that towered above him didn't do much to break the icy winds, despite their immense size.

He heard them coming before they saw him, as the two werewolves were so intent on reaching their prey that they didn't notice Severus until they were nearly past him. Two quick unforgivables, dispensed in rapid-fire fashion, two dead werewolves, slowly turning human again as they stared sightlessly at nothing. Silently he walked past the two corpses, brooding on the turn his life had taken.

_Two more black marks on my soul_, he thought, looking over at the remains of the house. _How many orphans and widows did I just create? How many more lives will I take now that I've started down this dark path?_

An old wizard, crawling through the snow, another unforgivable ending a life. Severus gritted his teeth, moving on toward the next house, putting the man's feeble cries from his mind.

_It was a kindness_, he told himself. _With no legs and half his face gone, he wouldn't have lasted long anyway, not in this bitter cold._

The tall young man closed his eyes, sighing in dejection as he leaned against one of the huge trees, dark hair falling over his face as he hung his head.

_Don't kid yourself; yet another sin to bear. There will be no forgiveness for me, no redemption. The die is cast, there's no turning back now._

A noise drew his attention, and he moved toward another house, his black robes billowing out behind him as he slogged through the snow. It wasn't a familiar one, being larger and more ornately furnished than the poor hovels he'd destroyed with Lucius. The other Death Eaters had brushed them aside, choosing the ripest plums for themselves, as a bit of looting was actually approved of by the Dark Lord. No, this was more of an estate, with the remains of a beautiful old mansion still smoking in places. Jumping lightly through the frame of a shattered window, he spotted a single werewolf clawing frantically at a door, fairly slobbering and whimpering with excitement.

"_Avada Kedavra!_" Severus said, pointing his wand at the werewolf. The jet of green light struck it square in the back, and it collapsed against the door.

"Let's see what you were so hungry for." He murmured to the corpse, shoving it aside with his boot. Taking hold of the doorknob, he twisted it and pulled the door open, wand at the ready.

Crouching in the closet, among the hanging clothing, was a little girl of perhaps six years of age, clutching a teddy bear, her gray eyes widening in terror as she stared up at him. Trembling in fright, her eyes darted to his, then to each side, then back to his, her mouth gasping for air as she looked for a way to escape. Her clothes were filthy rags, though it was obvious that they were once of good quality. Auburn hair, matted and dirty, mostly held back from her face by a scarlet ribbon. Wrapped around her was a dirty, but relatively intact blanket, decorated with a coat of arms that meant nothing to the young Death Eater; a black double headed eagle.

For a moment, young Severus Snape was transfixed, his black eyes held fast by the girl's gray ones. They were standing close enough that their breath mingled in the cold air, forming a cloud between them. His orders forgotten, he stood there numbly.

_I…have to kill her_, he thought, though his hand failed to raise his wand. _My orders are to kill all survivors._

_But who would know?_

For years afterwards, he tried and failed to understand why he did what he did next.

Hesitantly, he put his wand away and knelt, holding his hand out to her.

"You're…" He coughed, his voice failing him at first, forcing him to clear his throat.

"You're safe now." He said, his voice still unsteady. "The werewolves are gone now."

The girl hesitated for a long moment, frowning, then slowly, a step at a time, warily moved toward him.

_What am I doing?_ He thought, watching her come closer. _I was ordered to execute survivors._

Her tiny hand finally touched his, icy cold fingers wrapping around his warmer, larger digits. Despite her fear, she looked up at him and offered a hesitant, shy smile, even though she still was still shivering-with fear or cold, who could tell.

_I have to get her out of here._ He thought, and then shook his head as if to clear the idea away. _This is madness_; _I can't take care of her. No one must know that I spared her._

_But where could I take her? Who could protect her?_

_I'm barely 19 years old; I can't raise a child by myself. Not as a Death Eater, not on my meager inheritance, in a dingy hovel in Spinner's End. What kind of life would it be for her?_

_I don't know anything about children._

_Think. Think, Severus!_

_Where can I go? Where could I take her?_

Considering his options carefully, after a few agonizing minutes, he finally had an idea.

_The Razins_, he thought with a sigh of relief._ They live only a few kilometers from here. Stenka owes me a favor or two, given what happened with his son._

_I'll take her there, and no one will know._

_Nobody needs to know the truth._

_Only me; she's far too young to tell anyone of my disobedience of the Dark Lord's orders. Once she's with the Razins, I'll never see her again, and she'll be safe._

He swallowed nervously, then took his outer cloak off and carefully wrapped her in its warmth.

"Tell me, dear," Severus asked, "did your parents ever side-along apparate with you?"

Confusion warred with anxiety on her face, and she shrank back from him, cowering in the closet after yanking her hand free from his. Her expression finally settled on something more resembling stubborn resolve, her jaw set firmly as she glared up at him, her grey eyes dark with suspicion.

_Idiot_, he silently rebuked himself. _What on earth gave you the idea that she understands English?_

For a moment, he thought, struggling to think of the words, trying to phrase what he needed to say in his mind. While he had studied Russian, his command of that language left much to be desired. He looked at her, smiled-not too much, as he didn't want to show his crooked teeth that had been a constant source of embarrassment to him, and spoke carefully.

"Um…Ваши родители никогда…у вас с ними бок о вдоль привидение? Куда-то, что он чувствовал, что…um…вы были вытесняют?"

Mutely she nodded, a shadow of sadness moving across her face to darken her eyes further.

"Мама…" The tiny girl whispered, pointing with an unsteady finger toward a lump covered by another blanket. He glanced over at it, spotting another corpse nearby, likewise covered with a dirty sheet.

_She did this_, he thought uneasily. _She covered them…after they were killed._

Severus swallowed nervously, unwilling to lift the blanket and look at what lay beneath; his sensitive nose had already told him enough. He picked her up and set her on his hip, surprised not only at how light she was, but also that she put her arms around his neck, holding him tightly. Such close intimate contact made him uneasy, as he had never had much of it, not since he was a child himself. He lifted his cloak off her face and spoke gently to her.

"Я собираюсь аппарировать с вами, принять вас в надежном месте. Будет ли это хорошо?"

Her gray eyes not leaving his face, she nodded again. He covered her up as best as he could against the bitter winds, and walked away from the smoking ruins of the mansion.

With a _crack_ and a swirl of black smoke, they both disappeared.

oOo

November 1, 1990, Durmstang Institute~

"What did you get, Inga?"

"Herpo the Foul." Said the blonde girl, her lip curled in disgust. "Do you want it? I've got, like six of them."

"No way!" The short brunette laughed. "Maybe if you have a Merlin, I might consider it."

"Shh. Somebody's coming." The third girl, a skinny blond with short hair hissed urgently.

"Oh, it's just Princess Romanov, Nadia." Inga sneered. "I'm not scared of her, just because she's a prefect."

"Shh! She hexed Igor Pushkin last week." Nadia whispered as she nervously watched the third-year student approach them, seemingly paying no mind to them as they stood near the wall.

"Good evening, Prefect Romanov." The short brunette said, smirking nervously as she came nearer.

"Oh, good evening, Prefect Romanov." Inga said boldly, smiling. "On your way back from the library?"

As if noticing them for the first time, Anastasiya Romanov turned her cold grey eyes on the three first years, the light from the torches in the hallway reflecting off of the gleaming silver prefect's badge that she wore on the collar of her robes. She shifted her book bag, laden as it was indeed with books from the library, and coolly regarded the younger students.

"It is almost time for dinner." She said, fixing each of them in turn with a steely glare. "Should you not be on your way to the Great Hall, rather than loitering, gossiping in the hallway?"

"We were just trading some Chocolate Frog cards, Prefect." Inga said, with a smile. "We're not doing anything wrong. We were about to head to the Great Hall now."

"Chocolate Frog cards?" Ana said, her lip curling into a disdainful sneer.

"Yes!" Inga said, holding her stack of cards up with an impudent smirk. "I have a nearly complete collection. Would you like to have some to get started?"

Ana glared at Inga for a moment, and then plucked the deck of cards from the first-year's hand.

"I'll be confiscating these." She said dryly, her grey eyes sparkling with mirth. "You may pick them up tomorrow from your head of house. Now, I suggest you all get yourselves to the Great Hall, and stop loitering in the hallways, or I will be taking points also. Now, off with you."

With a bitter glare, Inga stomped down the hallway, followed closely by her two friends, who were quite glad that their decks hadn't been confiscated.

Tucking the cards into a pocket of her robes, Ana made her way to her room in Vablatsky tower. Pushing the door open after unwarding it, she gently set her book bag near her writing desk, then took the confiscated deck of cards from her pocket and tossed it on the desk. As her aim was a bit off, the deck bounced off the edge of the desk, falling to the floor and snapping the rubber band that held them together. Cards went everywhere on her rug.

With a muttered oath, Ana knelt and began picking up the cards. She didn't have much time to be at the Great Hall for dinner, and really didn't need this aggravation today. Quickly she knelt and picked them up, stacking them in her hand. Picking up one of the cards, she happened to glance at it. Her heart seemed to jump into her throat as she froze, staring at the wizard depicted upon it.

_It's him._ She thought, staring at the card fixedly. _It's definitely him. Merlin, what happened to him?_

A soft hoot from her owl, Ivan, startled her from her daze. Glancing at the clock on her bedside table, she was shocked to see that she only had fifteen minutes to get to the Great Hall for dinner.

Carefully, she placed his card on her desk, and then quickly picked up the other cards, getting a new rubber band and securing them. Unbuttoning her robe, she picked up the card from her desk, tucking it into the pocket of her blouse, and then carefully buttoned her robe back up. Picking up the deck, she slipped it into a pocket in her robes, and headed to the Great Hall.

oOo

"100 Galleons." Inga said coldly, glaring over at her, her blue eyes burning with hatred.

"Too much." Ana said, a thin smile playing around her lips. "But I'm in a generous mood today. I'll give you five, and not one knut more. Five Galleons, and your deck back. Plus I don't write you up for loitering. You could lose thirty points for your house, if you're not careful here."

"You took my deck!" The blonde first-year hissed bitterly, trembling in her chair.

"I certainly did." The older student smirked. "Thus-quite literally-I hold all the cards."

"Bitch." Inga mumbled resentfully, her bottom lip quivering.

"It's a win-win situation for you." Prefect Romanov grinned wolfishly, sensing victory. "You get your deck back, your head of house knows nothing about your little breach of rules, and you get enough to buy enough Chocolate Frogs to make yourself and your friends sick as dogs. I'd call that a good deal."

"That's the only one I've ever seen!" Inga protested, begging now. "If you want to take one, take another one, but I may never find another one of him."

"No. This one is mine."

"Five Galleons? And my deck back?" The blonde sighed, defeated.

Ana slid the deck across the table, along with a leather bag that clinked slightly when it hit the table.

"Thank you." Inga murmured irritably, picking up the bag and the Chocolate Frog cards.

"Thank you, Inga." Ana smiled sweetly, knowing full well she was just fanning the flames.

Inga stomped off angrily, her deck and the bag of Galleons clutched tight in her hands.

Ana lay in her bed long after midnight, propped up on her pillows, a candle floating nearby for illumination as she stared at the card. Every five minutes, she turned the card over to reset it after the wizard left, scowling at her. Her grey eyes studied every feature of the man, his black hair, the hooked nose, and the black eyes.

_That's him. The man who saved me, I'm sure of it. He's older now, but so am I._

_Now, I have a name to go with the face._

_But where is he?_

_Why does he look so miserable?_

_Why did he abandon me?_

oOo

May 5, 1998~

Hagrid was feeling quite nervous, shifting from one foot to another as he anxiously scanned the crowds disembarking from the Hogwarts Express. The Headmistress had sent him to the station in Hogsmeade to collect a professor from Beauxbatons who'd agreed to teach potions on short notice, filling in for the ailing Professor Slughorn who had suffered a mild heart attack shortly after the Battle of Hogwarts.

Not that it was a problem, picking up someone at the station; he did it on a regular basis, mostly picking up students. But there was so much to rebuild after the defeat of You-know-who. The Battle of Hogwarts had left its namesake in bad shape. He really felt that he should be there helping, not running an errand to Hogsmeade. True, they had the help of the castle, being the sentient building that it was, and there was no problem levitating things, but you couldn't beat good old fashioned muscles. And he had them to spare.

_I sure wish Filch would have been given this task_, the half-giant thought grumpily. He sighed, knowing full well in his heart that his agitation wasn't due to worrying about rebuilding the castle.

No, Hagrid was uneasy because of the fearsome reputation of the person he was meeting, and having Filch constantly needling him about her for the past couple of days had not helped. Just this morning, the old squib had snickered at him as they passed in the hallway, as Hagrid was on his way to the Headmistress' office to beg one more time to be excused from this particular duty.

"I heard that she hexed the groundskeeper at Beauxbatons." Filch cackled derisively as the half-giant made his way toward the Headmistress' office. "Turned him into a toad after he made her angry. Fancy eating bugs, Hagrid?" 

With a roll of his eyes and an exasperated sigh, Hagrid spoke the password and lumbered up the steps. He pushed open the door and walked into the office, mulling over how he would phrase his latest appeal.

"The answer is still no, Hagrid." Minerva McGonagall said from where she sat behind her desk, not even bothering to look over at him. Lips pursed in concentration, she leaned over several piles of parchments, her reading glasses perched on her nose as she scanned the latest list of new students for the fall term.

"Headmistress," He protested, "Can't you send someone else this time? Maybe Filch? He's looking kind of pale. He could really do with some fresh air, and-"

"Hagrid, as you well know, Filch is needed here, to supervise the house elves with the interior repairs and remodeling." Minerva had replied, handing him a list of building materials that she also wanted him to arrange to have delivered. "After all, he knows the castle better than anyone else. Professor Romanov was very kind to agree to fill in for Professor Slughorn for the remaining two weeks, and to stay over until fall if need be. Now go, and you be on your best behavior. Don't do anything to make her angry."

With a quiet sigh, Hagrid shuffled from the office, defeated.

_I'll be sure not to make her angry_, he thought. _Don't fancy being a toad._

So here he was, shifting nervously from one foot to another, on Platform 9 ¾. Waiting. Hagrid didn't like waiting, especially on the platform where he stood out so badly among the smaller humans milling around. He'd long ago arranged for the building materials to be sent to the school, and purchased some more Flesh-Eating Slug Repellent to replenish his stock-the slugs seemed to be especially bad already this year. He feared that his pumpkins might not do so well this year, if he couldn't get them under control, not to mention the hazard of losing a student or two.

"You must be Hagrid." Said someone from behind him, in strongly accented, but excellent English.

He turned around. She was tall, nearly 5'7", and very slender, almost looking underfed. Steel gray eyes regarded him coolly from over high cheekbones in a delicate pale face, framed by chestnut colored hair that was pulled back into a neat French braid that stretched down her back to her hips. She wore a red dress, a black sash with a silver mounted dagger tucked into it, and-most unusual, given the pleasant weather-long sleeves with black leather gloves. A stylish hat sat atop her head, cocked at a jaunty angle to shade her eyes from the sun. On her left hand perched a huge eagle owl, whose amber eyes regarded Hagrid suspiciously, his sharp talons digging into the gloved hand as he gave a low hoot of unease.

"I am Professor Romanov." She said, walking toward him.

Hagrid wiped his sweating palms on his robes nervously, and bowed, feeling a bit relieved when she smiled and nodded.

"Yes, that'd be me, ma'am. Welcome to Hogsmeade, an' Hogwarts. Now, I can take yer bags an' yer owl-"

"My owl," The woman said quietly, the only indication that she was irritated being a slight thickening of her accent and a flash like steel in her eyes, "stays with me. Ivan does not like being handled by anyone other than myself."

Hagrid paled, involuntarily bowing. This is exactly the kind of thing that the Headmistress had warned him about.

"For Merlin's sake, Hagrid, be diplomatic!" Headmistress McGonagall had said before he left her office. "Don't do or say anything to make her angry!"

Hagrid sighed inwardly, hoping he could smooth things over.

"Of course, ma'am, my sincerest apologies." He said quickly. "It's just that I'm the Gamekeeper, and most all folks that come in prefer that I take their birds to the owlry-"

"Hagrid. I am not 'most folks'. Ivan goes wherever I go."

He swallowed nervously.

"Of course not, Professor. Er…I meant no offense, was what I was trying to say. Now, your bags…"

"Right there." She said.

With one long, elegant finger, she indicated a black leather suitcase on the platform near her. Cautiously, he picked it up and walked to the waiting carriage as the woman followed him, her owl swiveling its head to take in his new surroundings as she walked. Hagrid offered her a hand, and she took it, gracefully jumping up into the carriage and settling herself on the seat.

oOo

Minerva looked up when the knock sounded at her door, and sighed. _So much to do_, she mused. _So much to be done before the Fall term begins._

"Come in." She said, setting her quill down and wearily rubbing her eyes.

Hagrid opened the door and stepped aside to allow Professor Romanov to enter.

"Minerva." She smiled, crossing the room to the Headmistress, sending her owl to perch on the windowsill.

"Ana, how have you been?" Minerva smiled, hugging the younger woman carefully.

"As well as I could be." Ana replied, hugging the older witch. "But never mind that. There is so much damage…I'm so sorry to see the castle like this. It is terrible! So much damage."

"Well, it was worse. We've been very busy rebuilding, and the castle does a great deal of it, of course. Hopefully, we should be able to finish most of the repairs by the time fall term begins."

"Of course…" Ana said, pausing for a moment. "Minerva…"

"Yes?"

"Professor Snape…how long will he be unable to teach?" She asked, her face an unreadable mask.

"I…I'm not certain, Ana." Minerva said softly. "As I told you in my letter, he's in a coma, in the Hospital wing. He…well, his wounds were rather severe. He was bitten by Voldemort's familiar, Nagini, right near the carotid artery, and that could have easily been fatal, even without the venom. It's ironic, but the venom may have helped keep him alive until help could arrive by slowing down his body functions."

"I see." The younger witch said, and then frowned. "So he was able to make it back to the Hospital wing before he collapsed?"

"Oh, no, Poppy said from all appearances, he was brought in and left there." Minerva explained patiently. "She was out on the grounds tending the wounded. When she came in to get more supplies and potions, Severus was on a bed, already bandaged up. Whoever brought him in had the presence of mind to administer a bezoar, as well as blood-replenishment and pain potions."

Ana frowned, her brow creased in thought.

"But…who might have brought him to the Hospital wing?" She asked. "Surely someone noticed them bringing him back to the castle."

"I have no idea, nor does Poppy. It's lucky for Severus that someone did, that's for sure."

"Indeed." Ana said briskly, getting up from her chair and holding out her hand for Ivan to fly to.

"I'll be off now." She said, smiling at the Headmistress. "I still have to unpack, and go prepare to teach on Monday. I'd like to visit Professor Snape, also, if that's allowed."

"Well, I don't think he'll be much company right now."

"That's probably for the best." Ana smiled thinly. "He and I didn't part ways on amicable terms, the last time we spoke."

"Oh?"

"No. But it's nothing to worry about. It's been years ago, really nothing to it. Just a minor disagreement between peers."

Minerva frowned, studying the young woman as she left the office. There was something wrong here, something she just couldn't put her finger on.

oOo

"So, Harry," Ron said as they walked toward the dungeons, "Who's going to finish up teaching Potions? Old Sluggy like to keeled over after the Battle of Hogwarts, too much excitement for the old ticker, I guess. Snape's dead, or close to it-"

"Oh, for the love of Merlin, Ron!" Hermione snapped crossly, thumping Ron in the head with her Potions book. "He's not dead, he's in a coma. He may yet recover."

"Ow!" Ron exclaimed, rubbing his head. "Merlin, that's a scary thought, Snape rising from the dead like some kind of zombie. Harry, do you reckon Snape will wake up? Rise from the dead?"

Harry shook his head and sighed.

"I have no idea, Ron." He said, leading the way into the Potions classroom. He nodded to some of the students as he made his way to his usual seat. Ron sat down next to him, with Hermione on the other side, rolling her eyes heavenwards in disgust as Ron did an imitation of what he imagined a zombie Snape might act like.

At five minutes till the hour, exactly, the door to the potions classroom burst open with a bang. In a swirl of bright scarlet robes, trimmed in gold silk, a tall woman walked briskly to the front of the classroom. Midway to the podium, she spoke, never breaking stride.

"_Pertica._" The eagle owl on her shoulder took off, gracefully flying off to perch on a rafter near the back of the classroom.

"Wicked." Ron Weasley breathed, just a bit louder than a whisper, his eyes locked on the owl.

The woman went to the board, and with a subtle gesture of her hand, set a piece of chalk to writing on the board rapidly.

"I am Professor Romanov." She said bluntly, her cool gray eyes studying each face in turn. "You will address me only as 'Professor Romanov', or 'Professor'. I will be filling in for Professor Slughorn for the remainder of the term. As this is Advanced Potions class, I will expect…advanced work. You will be making a simple potion today; Blood-Replenishment potion. I will be judging your work on the finer points, so do not expect this to be an easy assignment. I expect that half of you will fail. You have five minutes to gather your ingredients and begin; after the five minutes are up, you have exactly twenty-eight minutes to produce an acceptable sample of Blood-Replenishment potion. Do you know why you only have twenty-eight minutes? Anyone? Miss Granger?"

Hermione stood up, clearing her throat dramatically and smoothing down her robes.

"The minimum time needed," she said confidently, "is due to the rate at which it is possible to blend the powdered iron with the essence of bloodroot. Alderoy Stimpkins proposed in 1934 that it might be possible to make Blood-Replenishment potion in less than twenty-eight minutes if it were possible to raise the solution temperature by three degrees Fahrenheit, but at that temperature, when the iron is added it may react with the dandelion leaves, causing an unstable solution. Later, in 1935, Berringer postulated that-"

"Thank you, Miss Granger, that will be enough." Ana said, making a mental note to be more careful about calling on Granger in the future. "To give the condensed version, do not allow your solutions to get any hotter than 180º Fahrenheit, for the sake of safety."

For a moment, there was not a sound in the classroom, except for the magicked chalk busily writing out the required ingredients.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Snapped Professor Romanov. "Begin!"

Students, panicked, overturned stools and beakers rushing to get their ingredients. Ana Romanov sighed to herself, praying to the gods for patience.

_THESE are seventh-year students?_ She thought in dismay. _Merlin, how did Severus keep his sanity?_

Eventually, with little incident, the class drew to its end. While they had a rocky start, Ana was quite impressed with the work of several students; indeed, all of them made a passable potion. She assigned an essay of twenty-four inches worth of parchment, in which she expected only their own thoughts regarding the absorption of the iron oxide in the solution. As the students made their way toward the door, she looked up from her desk, where she was marking the vials for further analysis.

"Mr. Potter?" Ana called out, just as Harry picked up his bag of books to follow Ron and Hermione out. "I need you to stay after, please."

Frowning, Harry put his book bag down with a sigh.

"Close the door, please." She said, after the last student left. "Then come over here."

Harry closed the door, and then walked over to where the new Potions professor sat at Snape's old desk.

"Is there a problem, Professor?" He asked, a bit irritated with being kept after class.

"No." Ana said, looking at the young man intently, studying his face as if she were memorizing it. Harry began to feel rather uncomfortable, wondering if he'd been too defiant.

"Um…Professor…" He said, fearful that he'd overstepped.

"So you're her son." She said softly, her eyes steady on his. "Lily Evans, the woman who married James Potter."

Harry blushed, completely caught off guard.

"Yes, ma'am." He blustered, irritation giving way to anger. "What of it? My mum's a long time dead, and I'd really rather not talk about her, if you don't mind."

Professor Romanov blinked, as if coming out of a trance.

"I understand." She said gently, conjuring a stool beside her desk. "Sit down, please."

Harry reluctantly sat down, his green eyes looking over at the new Potions Mistress.

"I tell you this in confidence, understand?" Ana said, leaning forward in her chair. "Few here know this, but I am also an orphan. I lost my parents to the Dark Lord when I was six years old."

"So you know how I feel?"

"Somewhat." She shrugged. "Our experiences are different, because you were so young when you lost your parents, and I knew mine quite well by the time they were taken from me. Both of us have suffered in our own unique way."

Harry nodded mutely.

She watched him for a long time, studying his face.

"Professor…" Harry said hesitantly, "Did you…did you know my mum and dad?"

"No, Harry." Ana answered truthfully. "I was too young to know them. I never met them."

"I see." He replied, sounding a bit disappointed.

"That will be all, Mr. Potter." She said gently. "We can always talk later, if you wish. I don't want to keep you from your friends. Dismissed."

As the door closed behind him, she leaned back in her chair, idly smoothing the feathers of her quill.

_So that's her son. Lily Evans, the woman who chose another, yet kept his love even after she died._

_It's so unfair_, she thought bitterly.

oOo

_It was dark again. They always came at night. The child huddled in a blanket in the ruins of the house, watching the fat snowflakes drift silently to the ground. At least the snow was pretty._

_Mummy wasn't breathing any more. She had made that funny rattle noise and just stopped. She had covered her up with a blanket to keep her warm, just like she did with daddy. Or what was left of daddy._

_She could hear them. These were at least real wolves, not like the ones that walked on their hind legs like people. She huddled in the basement, under the stairs in the little closet there. She could hear the steps on the stairs, getting closer now, the heavy sniffing around the door. Then, as her eyes grew wide with terror, the doorknob rattled, then slowly began to turn-_

Ana sat up in bed with a terrified gasp, sweat making her nightgown stick to her skin, her heart pounding in her chest as she trembled in her bed. Her throat felt raw, as if she had screamed too much. Shuddering, she struggled to catch her breath, clutching the covers tightly to herself.

Ivan swiveled his head, looking at her curiously from his perch near the window, and then turned back to the rat that he was dining on. With shaky hands, she retrieved a bottle of vodka from the icebox and poured a water glass half full, and took a sip. She went to an armchair and sat down with her glass, drawing her legs up under herself as she shivered despite the warmth from her fireplace.

_Halloween, 1979._ She mused bitterly, wiping tears from her eyes. _The night my life turned to shit; the night the Death Eaters took away everything away from me. _

She took another sip of vodka, noting with relief that her hands were a bit steadier. Her room faced the East, and through the window she could see the barest traces of dawn. Draining the glass, she placed it on the table beside her chair for the house elves to take care of later, and stood up.

_No more sleep for me tonight._ She sighed wearily, walking into the bathroom to draw a bath.

_Another busy day for me, one more day closer to…what?_

oOo

She stood in the infirmary, in a room that was situated well away from prying eyes. It was quiet there; no students, no professors, and no other visitors. For a long time, she just watched him breathe, his chest rising and falling with clocklike regularity.

_You probably wouldn't remember me._ Ana thought, blinking back a tear. _I wouldn't dare hope for anything of the sort._

_But I remember you. Oh, how I remember you! It has been eighteen years since you drove away those werewolves and rescued me; then found me a safe place to live. I remember everything. I owe you my life._

_You were my hero, then my secret crush…then, the man I hated most in the world. I wanted you dead for what happened to my parents, to the Razins, to all of the children I couldn't save at Beauxbatons whose screams haunt my dreams most every night. For years, I fantasized about putting a wand to your throat and ending your life, of taking revenge on behalf of all of the victims. Had Headmistress McGonagall known this, she would have never even have considered owling me to fill in for Professor Slughorn._

_I could kill you right now, with the greatest of ease. I wouldn't even need my wand._

_I hated you so much. _

_I loved you so much. _

_The two emotions, two sides of the same coin, warring within me even now as I stand here, struggling for control._

_You saved me, and then abandoned me. You scorned me, and then seduced me._

_It would be so easy_, she thought, her right hand falling to lightly grip the handle of the silver dagger in her belt. _One thrust with eight inches of finely honed Tula steel, no more Severus Snape. I know exactly where the heart is. I've done it before, felt the heart of a many a Death Eater tear itself apart on this very dagger._

Slowly, her trembling hand released the handle of the dagger, her nerveless fingers falling away from it.

_But…I can't do it._

_I love you too much, though you don't want me. You wouldn't want me, even now. Especially, not now. Not after…_

She shook her head, pushing the thoughts from her mind with a shudder, turning to gaze out the window at the lake in the distance.

_I mustn't think about that. Ever._

It took her several minutes to calm herself down to the point that she could even look at him again.

Ana watched him breathe, his chest rising and falling regularly.

_I know what you did, Severus. You fooled us all, right up to the final battle_. _You were a double agent. You lied to everyone, over and over, even to me, even to the Dark Lord. You clung to one thing, to what your purpose was as a double agent, even until death. At great personal risk, you kept up the charade to the last, knowing that you would become one of the most despised wizards in history, vilified by both sides following an ugly war._

_All of this just to protect one child, until he was strong enough to defeat Voldemort. _

_Her child, _she thought to herself, with a bitter twinge of jealousy.

_You deserve to be hailed as a hero, for you sacrificed everything, and with no hope of a reward…save perhaps death and an end to your suffering._

_But fate denied you even that slight mercy._

_And now you are reduced to this, an empty husk, half dead in a hospital room._ She thought bitterly, quickly wiping away the tears that welled in her eyes. _Imprisoned in your own body._

_It's so unfair. _She thought, wiping at the tears that flowed freely now.

_I won't cry. I haven't cried since my first year at Durmstang._

_Yes, you have._ She rebuked herself harshly. _You know very well that you've cried many times since Durmstang, and before._

_You cried many, many times._

_You cried yourself to sleep many a night alone in your bed, in the orphanage. You were so strong and brave during the day, helping to take care of the other children, yet so weak and pathetic at night when it came to facing your own terrors._

_So fierce and competitive you were at Durmstang, driven to excel with a passion that was like a madness. Never letting on that you were weak, lest you be taken advantage of. Cruel and ruthless by day, by night behind the door of your room you wept as you hugged your pillow, homesick for your stepmother and stepfather comforting you when your nightmares became too much to bear._

_You wept freely, raging at the fates, when your stepmother suffered her stroke, lingering for six weeks, then slipping away. But only behind your closed door in your bedroom after casting a silencio charm, for your devastated stepfather needed your strength to lean on after he lost the love of his life. So you were strong for him, even though you didn't feel strong enough._

_You cried when you found out Severus was a Death Eater, the right hand of the Dark Lord. You slipped out of the bed you had shared with him, when you saw the dark mark on his forearm. Slinking away like a coward, refusing to face the truth._

_You prayed to all the gods that you wouldn't have face him in a duel, to kill him._

_You wept shamelessly after you awakened in a hospital bed, after you were injured during the Death Eater attack on Beauxbatons. In a blind rage, you destroyed every mirror in your hospital room, smashing them with your fist, tears mixing freely with the blood from your mangled hand. You've avoided mirrors ever since, lest you cry again over what you lost that night at the dormitories._

_When you heard the rumors that Severus was dead, killed by that cursed familiar of the Dark Lord, you went to the remains of your family estate, overgrown as it was by the forest. Over the course of several hours, you destroyed tree after tree, blasting them to splinters until the rage was spent and you were lying on the ground, sobbing like a child, exhausted from the amount of magical energy you'd expended in the process of making trees that were hundreds of years old into kindling wood._

_Sitting on the floor of your sitting room, you wept in your apartment when you got the owl from Headmistress McGonagall, when you found out that he wasn't really dead, as you'd heard…but in a coma, barely clinging to life. Tears of relief, of joy, of hope._

_Hope._

_Dare I hope for anything?_ She wondered. _Dare I wish for anything more than what I already have?_

She shook her head, sighing in dismay.

_Both of us are lucky to even be breathing today, with what we've gone through. Against all odds, we have survived, mostly intact._

She looked at the tall man, lying so still in the bed, the only sign of life being the regular rise and fall of his chest. Bandages on both hands, most of his left arm, and his neck.

_This isn't fair_, she thought bitterly._ You deserve so much better than this._

Her eyes watered to the point where she could barely see. She reached into her pocket for her hanky.

"Excuse me, ma'am…this area of the Hospital wing is off limits-"

Ana turned to see the Medi-witch standing in the doorway, frowning at her. Recovering quickly, she turned away while she wiped her tears away, quickly applying a wandless glamour to hide the puffiness around her eyes. Then she drew herself up to her full height, turning back to the Medi-witch.

"I am Professor Romanov." She said crisply, "I will be teaching Potions classes until either Professor Snape or Professor Slughorn recovers."

"Oh! Well, I…I'm Poppy. Mediwitch Poppy Pomphrey, but everyone just calls me Poppy." Poppy said, taken by surprise. "I don't know what you expected to find, Professor Romanov. He's…still unresponsive."

"I can see that." Ana pointed out bluntly. "I only wished to see him; I promise you I will not disturb him. After all, I am a Potions Mistress, and there might be something I can do to help with his recovery. Examining the patient is critical to formulate a potion to treat an aliment."

"Oh…of course, Professor Romanov." Poppy said, composing herself. "You're welcome to come visit him anytime, so long as we aren't bathing him, of course. I…read to him, potions journals, The Daily Prophet, things like that. I read in a Muggle medical journal recently-"

"-that reading to coma patients may be beneficial for them. I've read the same article, I think."

"Yes, well…" Poppy said, "If you'll excuse me, I must get back to work. Feel free to stay as long as you like, Professor."

"Thank you…Poppy." She smiled, watching the older woman leave. Listening to her footsteps fade as she moved down the hallway. Finally, only when she was sure that she was alone with Severus, she moved close to the bed where he lay, leaning over him.

"Вернись ко мне в ближайшее время." Ana whispered softly, as she leaned down to his ear, and then gently kissed his pale cheek. "We have so much to talk about, darling."

As she made her way out of the Hospital Wing, she paused at the doorway of Poppy's office. The Medi-witch was marking some charts, so Ana politely knocked on the door frame to get her attention.

"Since tomorrow is Saturday, and my preparations for next week are nearly finished, I thought I might read to him. That might be helpful to you also, yes?" She said. "Is eight o' clock too early?"

"No, eight is fine, Professor." Poppy said cheerfully. "You might bring some of his books from his study; I keep meaning to get some, but I stay so busy up here…"

"I understand. I have better access to his study, since I am teaching his classes…perhaps there is something that he was reading before…"

Ana paused a moment, a long forgotten memory coming to the surface of her consciousness, momentarily distracting her.

_I'd forgotten about the bookmark_, she thought uneasily. _I wonder…_

"Professor? Are you alright?"

"Oh…excuse me. I was just..." Ana said quickly, blushing at her lapse. "I was just thinking that perhaps he had a book on his desk in his study, something that he was reading and failed to finish. I'll look in his quarters this afternoon after classes."

"Oh." Poppy said, and then nodded. "That certainly might help. Sort of picking up where he may have left off reading."

"Well, I will see you tomorrow, then." Ana said, and then left.

oOo

The next morning, at five minutes till eight, Ana walked into the hospital wing, a tote bag loaded with several books and periodicals slung on her shoulder. Seeing no sign of Poppy, she went to Severus' room and knocked on the door.

"Come in." Called Poppy from inside.

Pushing the door open, Ana went in, nodding to the Medi-Witch.

"Good morning, Poppy." She said as she approached the bed.

"Good morning, Professor." Poppy smiled, smoothing the blanket covering Severus. She had him bathed, dressed in a clean gown, and propped up a bit in the bed on a few pillows.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?" Ana said. "I looked over his desk and his bedside table, and picked up a few books, as well as brought along any periodicals that came in his post."

Ana set the tote bag on the bedside table with a clunk and a sigh, rubbing her aching shoulder with her right hand. Reaching into the pocket of her robe, she took hold of the potion vial there, then, thinking better of it, left the vial where it was.

_Better to save it for later, if the pain gets worse, _she sighed inwardly. _Best to keep trying to build up my tolerance to it, so it will remain effective_.

"So, have you known Severus a long time?" Asked the older woman, picking up one of the books to look at it.

"Um…yes…and no."

Poppy's eyebrows went up, and she looked at Ana with curiosity.

"Well, I'm sure there's a story there." She said, closing the book and setting it down with the others.

Ana was silent, her eyes narrowing a bit in warning. Poppy carefully put the book back.

"Um, I suppose it will wait." Poppy said nervously, moving toward the door. "I brought in a chair for you, and of course all you have to do is call for a house elf if you need anything."

"Thank you."

Poppy walked out, closing the door behind her.

Ana sat down in the chair between the window and the bed with a sigh, then looked at him. For a very long time, she simply sat in the chair next to the bed with one of the books from his study in her lap, just watching him breathe.

Finally, she let out a long sigh, rubbing her eyes.

"I suppose you wonder where I've been all these years." She began, speaking softly. "After the last time I saw you, I thought it best that we not see each other again. I…. I tried to stay away. I really did, Severus…though it was difficult at times."

"In September of 1996, when you came to Beauxbatons to teach the seminar on how to blend beetle eyes with essence of dragon bile safely…oh, how I wanted to attend! But I took a leave of absence for the week, and went to Salzburg instead."

_And three weeks later,_ she thought with a shudder, _I was fighting for my life in the hospital. How our fortunes can change in an instant._

_Mustn't think about that._

Closing her eyes, she struggled to calm herself down, using occlumency to force the memories back into her subconscious. After a long moment, she finally opened her eyes. Taking a deep breath and blowing it out slowly, she finally was able to continue.

"I wouldn't be here now…" Ana said, "except for Headmistress McGonagall owling me, asking me to take over the potions classes…while…you…"

She quickly retrieved her hanky, dabbing at her eyes, fighting to keep her composure.

_I will not cry_, she scolded herself, screwing her eyes shut again, willing the tears away.

_I must not cry._

_Don't cry._

It was several more minutes before she could calm herself down, holding the hanky to her eyes as if she could stopper up the tear ducts that threatened to betray her.

"I…I just don't understand this, any of it." Ana continued, her hands twisting her hanky into a tight little rope. "None of it makes any sense at all. Why did you do this? Did you want to die? Could you find nothing, no reason to live?"

_Was she so much more important than me? _She caught herself thinking, and then quickly drove the thoughts from her mind. _No thinking about that. That is the path to madness. You know you can't compete with her. _

_You never could._

She sat there for a long moment, just listening to him breathe.

Ana let out a sigh of frustration, rubbing her temples, then picked up a magazine.

"I'm going to read to you now. We'll start with the latest issue of Potions Monthly, then go on to the book that you had on your nightstand in your bedroom, Medicinal Herbs of Inner Mongolia. It does look interesting; I leafed through it for a few pages."

She fingered the bookmark in the book thoughtfully.

"I see that you are still using the bookmark I gave you for Christmas in 1994, the one that I made for you…with the dried rose petals. I…"

She swiped at her eyes with the hanky, dabbing futilely at the tears that seemed to flow freely now, streaming down her cheeks. She gave in, allowing herself to cry, glad that she'd warded the door and cast a _silenceo_ charm after the nosy Medi-witch had left. After some twenty minutes or so, she finally felt able to go on.

"That…" She whispered, her voice wavering just a bit, "that is how I knew what you were reading now. You…you still are using it…after all these years. You…"

Holding her hanky tightly to her eyes, she gave in, sobbing brokenly. It was several minutes before she was able to fully regain her composure. When she was finally able to put away her hanky, she looked over at him again.

"If you are angry that I am here when you awaken, this will still be worth it." Ana said, "You frighten your students, but I've never been afraid of you. I will read to you, and I will talk to you, and one day, you will wake up."

_And what then?_ She thought uneasily, putting away her hanky. _What happens then?_

_I haven't the slightest idea._

Opening the latest issue of Potions Monthly, she then began to read aloud.

oOo

Monday was, by anyone's standards, not a good day. By lunchtime, Professor Romanov had given out twelve detentions with Filch, three that she would personally supervise, and had taken nearly 200 points from all four houses. Now, she sat at the staff table glowering at the students over a cup of strong coffee as the braver ones sneaked wary glances at the terrifying new Potions Professor.

"Hello, Professor," The Headmistress said, sitting down next to her. "I hear you've had your hands full today."

"Indeed. Such lack of discipline!" Ana growled. "These…hooligans think that I am going to let them get away with anything! The nerve some of these children have! And just who are these Weasleys, the ones who make these…wait, I have some right here that I confiscated…"

Digging in the pocket of her robes, she pulled out a box.

"Weasley's Wizardings Wheezes Wildfire Whiz-Bangs," She read from the box, tossing onto the table in disgust. "An utterly dangerous item for students to have in their possession! What…moron came up with these? In my third period class today, Mr. Randall set the drapes in my classroom on fire!"

Minerva struggled to hide a smirk, choosing to remain silent. Ana looked at her suspiciously, and then over at the Gryffindor table, then back at the Headmistress.

"Ronald Weasley is behind this, is he not?"

"Oh, no, Ana." Minerva chuckled. "Those fireworks were made by his brothers, George and...his late brother Fred. They had a business in Hogsmeade, which George still operates."

"And you still allow him to be in this school?" Snapped Ana. "These are dangerous! I'd better keep a close eye on him."

"He's not nearly the problem his brothers were," Minerva replied, still smiling. "In fact, most of the Weasleys are no problem, never were. For example, Ginerva Weasley there, the boys' sister, she's never been in trouble. A model student."

"If you say so."

"Ana, I actually wanted to discuss something else with you." The Headmistress said, "I'm somewhat concerned about you."

"Me? What are you talking about?" Ana replied warily.

"Yes, you." Minerva said dryly. "You haven't been here for a whole week, and you look nearly exhausted."

"I'm fine. Just…the move, the new students, and…well, I haven't been sleeping well lately. That's all. It will pass, I assure you."

"I've heard that you've been spending a lot of time reading." Minerva said quietly, carefully watching her. "Up in the hospital wing."

_Дерьмо,_ Ana thought, her heart sinking. _She knows._

"I certainly don't mind if you help Poppy and the hospital staff by reading to Severus," She said, eyeing Ana speculatively, "But don't allow it to interfere with your rest, or with your teaching. The most important thing is that you don't work yourself to death doing too much, dear."

"I take it that you already know." The younger witch sighed in resignation.

"About your collapse last fall, during class?" Minerva said, leaning toward her. "Madame Maxime told me all about it, before I owled you about filling in for the rest of the term. She was quite concerned about your health-"

"I'm fine." Ana snapped, secretly pleased that this had nothing to do with Severus.

"I was just tired…and my iron in my blood, it was low…" She said nonchalantly. "Truly, it was nothing. More of a nuisance than anything, really. I feel fine."

"Then there was the war." Minerva said, calling to a house elf for tea.

"I'd really rather not discuss that." Ana snapped, blushing deeply and rising from her chair. Minerva gently caught her sleeve, preventing her escape.

"As Headmistress, I really must insist." The Headmistress said.

Ana sighed, sitting back down and taking a sip of her coffee. Stalling for time, she glanced at the clock.

"I'm well aware that your preparatory period is right after lunch, Professor." Minerva said dryly, her eyes locked to Ana's. "We have plenty of time to talk before your next class. You were badly injured yourself, were you not?"

"Yes." Ana said quietly, admitting defeat. "I assure you, it will not affect my ability to do my job, Headmistress."

"It won't?" Minerva asked, raising an eyebrow skeptically.

"No, it will not." Ana replied firmly. "I am not a cripple."

"I'm not concerned about your arm," Minerva said gently. "I'm more worried about-"

"I'm fine." Ana snapped, her eyes flashing defiantly. "When there is evidence that I cannot effectively perform my duties, we can discuss it then. Now, if you'll excuse me?"

With that, she stood up and walked away. Ivan flew from his perch to light on her shoulder as she went through the doorway to the hall. Ana tried to ignore the unsteadiness in her legs, forcing herself to project a confidence that she wasn't feeling at the moment. Checking her left sleeve self-consciously, she headed to the dungeons, hoping to regain her composure before facing her next class.

ooOoo

Author's notes:

"Ваши родители никогда у вас с ними бок о вдоль привидение? Куда-то, что он чувствовал, что вы были вытесняют?" – Did your parents ever take you with them in side-along apparition? Going somewhere that it felt like you were being squeezed?

"Я собираюсь аппарировать с вами, принять вас в надежном месте. Будет ли это хорошо?"- I'm going to apparate with you, take you somewhere safe. Will that be alright?

"Вернись ко мне в ближайшее время." Translates as "come back to me soon."

"дерьмо" is "shit."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Chapter 2~

December 19, 1994~

"Professor Snape?"

He turned, frowning. He'd come out to the gardens to escape the crowded ballroom at Beaxbatons following his brief lecture as a guest at the Potions Society Convention. Dumbledore had insisted on his attending, and then he'd been furious to find out that the old cad had signed him up to do a talk on wolfsbane and the potion he'd developed for Lupin.

And now, it would seem, here was yet another empty-headed twit of a groupie.

"Yes?" He sneered, hoping to scare the girl off.

"You don't remember me, do you?" Said the young woman, coming closer.

Just a bit taller than average, short auburn hair, steel-gray eyes that were steady on his. He struggled to place her in his memory, to remember where he might have seen her before.

_Hellfire!_ He fumed. _Just another student, no doubt entranced by the lecture I just gave and desperate to impress me with what she thinks she knows about potion making. Graduate student's robes for Beauxbatons, I can tell that from the scarlet and gold. Excellent English, well-polished, but just a trace of an accent…not French, not German…more likely East of Germany…Russian or Ukrainian, perhaps…_

"Professor?" The student said hesitantly, her gray eyes dark with concern.

_Where do I know those eyes from?_ Severus thought, pinching the bridge of his nose in exasperation. He felt a headache coming on; what he wanted most was a headache potion and firewhiskey, preferably both. Not tedious conversation with some glassy-eyed admirer. With a sigh, he glared down at the young woman.

"I have no idea who you are, or where we have met." He snarled nastily. "Now just go away. Go clubbing or whatever it is you vapid little twits do when you're putting off your studies."

He felt a bit guilty when he saw her flinch at the barb, her cheeks reddening as she averted her eyes. Between the strain of playing the part of double agent, teaching classes, and now this insufferable lecture series that Dumbledore had talked him into, he felt as if he would snap at any moment.

For a moment, her mouth worked silently, tears brimming up in her eyes as she looked up at him.

_Nicely done, Severus! _He thought sourly, putting a hand in the pocket of his robes to find his hanky. _You've made her cry, you mean old bat. Twenty points to Slytherin._

But the next thing he knew, she had composed herself, a mask falling over her face, the tears vanishing. For a moment, she pursed her lips, reminding him much of Minerva McGonagall when she was in one of her thoughtful moods.

"It's no big deal, just that I owe you my life, sir." The girl said, then turned and walked away.

She stopped; hesitating for a moment, then walked back to him, took his hand and pressed something into it. Her hands were warm on his.

"This is something that I made for you, several years ago." The young woman said softly. "Keep it, throw it away, I don't care. I know you don't remember me."

He stood there stunned, watching her walk away, and then she stopped again. She didn't look at him, didn't turn around, and made no move to walk back to where he was. Uneasily, he allowed his wand to slide down to his hand from its concealed sheath in the sleeve of his robes.

"I know what you are." She said, the words drifting back to send a chill of dread through him. Then she simply walked away, leaving him frozen where he stood. He watched her until she was well out of sight, her footsteps fading away as she went back to the ballroom.

After a long moment, he numbly looked down at his hand, opening it.

A simple bookmark that a child might have made; two sheets of plastic laminated around dried rose petals.

ooOoo

May 10, 1998~

Ana stared sullenly out the window, sipping some tea. Honey, with a bit of lemon juice, as Poppy had prescribed for her, assuring her that it would help her voice. She pursed her lips, annoyed. She'd been forbidden to read to Severus, at least for now, though Poppy still allowed her to sit with him.

_At least I can read to myself_, she sighed. _Otherwise, I'd be bored out of my mind. But then, he never was much for conversation anyway._

A knock at the door drew her attention, leading her to close her book and look up. The Headmistress came in, walking over to her chair next to Severus' bed.

"Come by to make sure I was behaving?" Ana whispered hoarsely, her voice scratchy and painful, despite the tea and healing potions.

"Oh, I wasn't that worried." Minerva said, smiling as she conjured a chair to sit on. "It sounds as if your body is doing a fine job of making sure you follow healer's orders. I actually came by to see how Severus was doing. Any change?"

Ana shrugged, gesturing toward him.

"The same." She whispered glumly. "No change."

Minerva sat quietly, just watching her. After only a few minutes, Ana began to chafe under the gaze of the Headmistress.

"Is there something you needed?" She said, struggling to get the words out.

"No, nothing really." Minerva said, rising and vanishing her chair. "Will you be able to teach on Monday? If you don't use your voice all weekend?"

Ana chose to just nod her head, sighing in frustration.

"Don't worry, there's only about a week left in the term. Then, you'll have all summer to read to him, won't you."

Ana glared at Minerva, and then nodded again.

"Well, I'll leave you alone with him." Said the Headmistress, then left.

oOo

Monday arrived, and while her voice wasn't much better, she taught anyway. She just elected not to talk much, using her magicked chalk to write assignments on the board, and her frosty glare to discourage talking in her classrooms. It was, after all, the last week of classes.

"_Write a three foot essay on possible interactions of Murtlap essence, to be turned in at the end of class. Revise and review on your own. Final exam is Wednesday at 2 p.m." _The chalk scratched out on the board, as she fed Ivan a mouse, cooing to him gently and stroking his magnificent plumage.

"Bloody 'ell." Ron Weasley whispered to Harry, "I'd almost prefer Snape to this ice queen. She's a right bitch-OUCH!"

His red hair on one side was covered with chalk dust, a souvenir of a deftly thrown piece of chalk. Another piece of chalk appeared in her hand, then leapt to the board to begin writing rapidly.

_See me after class: (1) Ronald Weasley. Twenty points from Gryffindor._ The chalk kept writing, adding additional spots for more detentions and deductions of points, making the threat clear: Professor Romanov would be quite generous with punishment today. She silently pointed at her own eyes, then at Ron, emphasizing that she was not to be trifled with today.

Ron dropped his head to the table with a low groan. Harry glanced at him, and then bent over his essay, scribbling furiously. Hermione shot him an unsympathetic glare, and then turned back to her essay. In her opinion, Ron should be spending his energies on finishing his.

"Time is up." Professor Romanov announced quietly at the end of the class period, her voice still hoarse.

With a collective groan, the students turned in their parchments. Ron worked on his until nearly all were turned in, then rushed up to put it on the podium before gathering his things and slipping into the flow of students headed toward the door.

A door which slammed shut, the locks clicking into their mortises, before the first student reached it. Hermione gave Ron a glare.

"You have to stay after, Ron. Your name's on the board." She huffed. "Nobody can leave until you go back to your seat."

With a sigh, Ron walked to a seat near the front of the room and sat down with a dejected sigh. The door opened, and the other students, along with his two friends, filed out.

"'Ice Queen', Mr. Weasley?" Rasped Professor Romanov, walking over to the desk he sat at to loom over him. "'Bitch'? Do you make it a normal habit to personally insult your professors? Perhaps I should owl your mother."

Ron swallowed uneasily, shifting in his seat, his eyes widening as he contemplated how his mum would react to an owl from a professor.

"I…I'm very sorry, Professor." He said quickly, "It won't happen again, I swear-"

"200 lines. 'I will not talk in class.'" She whispered, cursing inwardly as her voice slipped closer to completely failing her. "Your best penmanship. Begin."

ooOoo

_She was in the bell tower at Beauxbatons, her heart hammering in her chest as she scrambled up the stairs. Green fire flashed outside the windows, jets of deadly spells cast by Death Eaters. Suddenly, the whole top of the bell tower blew away in an explosion of centuries-old stone and mortar, obscuring the stairs completely as shards of stone whistled past her. She was knocked off her feet, pain shooting through her knees._

_Coughing, she got up, checked to make sure her wand was still in her hand, and blindly picked her way through the rubble, covering her mouth with the sleeve of her robe to keep from breathing in the fine dust. Someone was screaming in the distance; abruptly the screams ceased. She nearly slipped in a pool of congealing blood near a battered corpse in Death Eater robes; the body so mutilated it was impossible to tell whether it was male or female._

"_Help me!" Someone just ahead shouted, obscured by the choking dust. She knelt on the stone, cautiously moving forward on hands and knees, cutting her palms on the sharp stone fragments as she felt blindly for the source of the voice._

"_Where are you?" She cried, coughing._

"_Down here! Hurry!" A wizard, a familiar male voice…_

_Feeling her way blindly along the floor, she finally found a hand clinging to the stone and grasped it, the man gripping her hand tightly. The dust cleared enough that she could see the man clinging to her left arm, her right hand tucking her wand away and gripping the base of what had been a pillar supporting the bell tower cupola. _

_Her left arm felt wrong. It was as if she had no strength in her grasp. She could feel the man's hand slowly sliding through her grasp, bit by bit, as she bit her lip, struggling to hold onto him._

_As he slipped from her grasp his face turned upward to her, an agonized expression there._

_It was Severus, falling in slow motion toward the ground 100 meters below-_

With a terrified gasp she jerked awake, gasping for breath, clutching the bedclothes to her chest in fright. Trembling uncontrollably, she glanced around her bedroom, struggling to calm her racing heart, breathing heavily. The bed was a mess, the sheets pulled free from the foot, the duvet on the floor, and the pillows nowhere to be seen.

Ivan hooted at her reproachfully from his perch, miffed at her for disturbing him.

_That dream again._ She shuddered, sliding from the bed and conjuring a water glass. She reached for the icebox door, and hesitated. _I have to teach tomorrow. No vodka tonight._

She filled the glass with water from her wand instead, and drank deeply, shivering in the chilly room. Moving another log onto the dying coals, she used her wand to stoke the fire until it was blazing merrily in the stone fireplace.

Checking her alarm clock, she saw that it was still some three hours before she needed to get up, at the earliest. With a groan, she flopped back on the bed.

_I should have known this was going to happen. I should have brewed some Dreamless Sleep potion. Just a few drops, not even a full dose…perhaps I can get some from Poppy tomorrow, just enough to make it to the end of the term…_

_Three more days._ She sighed heavily, rubbing her eyes. _Three more days, and the school year is over, the children will be gone._

_That gives me all day to devote to reading to him, to talking to him._

_Will Severus be awake by then? Will I still be here for fall?_

_Will he ever awaken?_ She thought, ignoring the tears rolling down her cheeks.

_What would I say to him if he did?_

_What could I say, after the way I treated him?_

_So many questions, so few answers…and I'm running out of time._

oOo

After tossing and turning fitfully for an hour, she managed to sleep perhaps another half hour, at most. With a sigh of resignation, she bathed and dressed, figuring that she could wander down to the library to do research, or look for fairy rings in the gardens, or whatever there was she could do for the hour or so she'd have to wait for breakfast. Then she'd have to struggle with not falling asleep in her coffee.

_One foot in front of the _other, she reminded herself when she stumbled_. Breathe in, breathe out. You can do this. Can't be any worse than finals week at Durmstang. But then, nothing could be that bad._

"Good mornin', Professer Romanov. Up mighty early, aren't you? That's the way a professor oughta be, by cracky."

She turned, looking at the man behind her in the hallway with bleary eyes. A tall man, stooped with age, with long, stringy hair, with a large cat cradled in his arms.

"Ah…good morning." She said softly, her voice still scratchy. "Mr. Filtch, is it not?"

"Aye, Professer." He rasped, stroking his cat, Mrs. Norris. "Checking for students out of bed? Haven't caught any myself, not one tonight."

"I…I could not sleep." Ana admitted, already feeling weary with the conversation.

"Pity, that." Filch said, genuine sympathy in his voice. "I often have that problem meself. What with my arthritis and my bad knees, and all, it's a wonder I get any sleep at all. A real shame that Professer Snape is laid up in hospital, it is. He could probably brew ye somthin' that would help you out. I know he sure knows a lot-"

"Mr. Filch." She said, "How long have you known Professor Snape?"

"Many years, Professer. A very long time. I knew him from a wee lad, just come to Hogwarts."

"If you aren't busy, come with me." Ana said, fully awake now, her mind hatching a plan. "I might be able to find you something to help with your aches and pains, if you can answer some questions for me. I just need to figure out what Sev-Professor Snape was brewing for you."

"That would be wonderful, Professer." Filch said, following her down the hallway.

oOo

"That's all. After I answered her questions, she gave me the same potions that Professer Snape allus gave me, and this salve for my knees an' hips, that's new to me. Already put some on, an' by golly it sure does the trick-"

"Thank you, Argus." Minerva said, not really wanting to hear all the gory details.

"She's very kind, she is," Filch went on, "I asked a few questions of my own, I did."

He gave the Headmistress a sly glance.

"Do tell." She said.

Filch smiled, rubbing his hands together in glee.

"Well, she called him by his given name, two or three times. Tried to cover it up, quick like. Headmistress, there's a lot more to this than we know, I wager."

"Oh, nonsense, Argus." Minerva said, signaling for a house elf to bring coffee and a light breakfast. "They are faculty members, working together. It's certainly not unheard of for staff to call each other by their given names, rather than by title and family name. You're imagining things."

"Not with her, Headmistress. When I came across her in the hall this mornin', she was looking like a half drowned cat, jus' wandering the halls half asleep. When I mentioned Professer Snape, she perked right up."

Minerva frowned.

"An' there's more to it," Filch continued, leaning forward in his chair. "She started in to askin' questions, fishin' for information on Snape. Very sly, that she is. She's a clever one."

"What did you tell her?"

"Nothing much, nothin' that any member of the staff wouldn't know." Filch grinned. "I like to keep on Snape's good side, so I would never talk about things that are personal, lest he hex me good. She got a bit cross with me, in fact."

"What kind of questions was she asking?"

"Personal stuff, Headmistress. Things such as, 'was he seeing anyone, that you know of', and the like. She's interested in him, I wager. She sounded like a love-struck first-year, to me."

"I see." Minerva said, sipping her coffee. "Very interesting. Keep me posted, Mr. Filch."

"Will do, Headmistress." Filch replied, collected Mrs. Norris and left, humming to himself.

oOo

Final exams had begun, and Ana was thankful for that. It meant silence and some sense of order in her classroom, for the most part. Even the 'Golden Trio' (_What a ridiculous name!_ she thought to herself) were quiet and intent on taking their exam, quills quietly scratching away on their parchments. She spent most of her time sipping coffee to keep her eyes open or stalking quietly as a panther through the Potions classroom, watching for any signs of unacceptable behavior. The only detention she'd given so far today was to Goyle, who had the nerve to throw a spit-wad at her when she had her back turned to the class. She'd caught it easily with her left hand, warned by Ivan, who missed nothing.

"Detention, Mr. Goyle." Ana said coldly, fixing him with icy eyes. "Three nights, with Filch, with fifty points taken from Slytherin."

The students gaped at her, some even looking at Goyle with sympathy.

"Need I remind the rest of you that this is your final Exam in Advanced Potions?" She hissed, grey eyes cold as ice. "I am quite willing to dispense more detentions, if necessary."

Quills began frantically scratching away.

Satisfied that order had been restored, she waved her wand at her cup, refilling it with coffee and renewing the warming charm on the cup. Frowning, she then turned her mind back to her conversation with Filch this morning.

_Or rather, the non-conversation,_ she thought irritably. _Such an unpleasant man. All of my finest tact and subtlety, and not enough information on Severus to fill a thimble. He only told me things that I already knew. Useless._

She sighed, taking a sip of her coffee, casting a wary glance around the room.

_What will I do when he wakes up?_ Ana thought miserably, keeping her face a mask, occluding her thoughts completely. Mentally she ticked off her fears, one by one.

_He'll be angry that I'm even here, no doubt about that._

_He'll be furious that Minerva asked me to teach his classes in his absence._

_What if he decides not to stay?_

_Does he even hear me when I read to him? What if it's driving him away, deeper into the coma?_

_We know so little about such things. Am I really doing any good?_

_He's an extremely proficient occlumens. What if…what if he picks up my thoughts of him?_

She blushed red as a beet, quickly turning away from the students as her composure wavered, pretending to be looking for something on the bookshelf behind her.

_Does he…hear me when I talk to him?_ She wondered, dropping a book in her nervousness. _Oh gods…did he know that I…_

"Professor Romanov?"

She turned around, the mask snapping back into place, the Occlumency shields back up. Miss Granger sat looking at her curiously.

"Yes, Miss Granger?" She snapped irritably. "What is it now?"

"Um…I'm finished with my exam. I…are you alright, Professor?" Granger said, her voice sincere in her concern. "You were mumbling-"

In response, the chalk leapt to the board and scratched, "_(2) Hermione Granger. 20 points from Gryffindor."_

"Professor, that is completely unfair! I-"

In a flash, the eraser swiped away the '20' and the chalk wrote, "_40"_

Hermoine started to say something else, but the cold eyes of Professor Romanov stopped her.

"Shall we make it sixty, Miss Granger?"

"No, Professor." Hermione sighed petulantly, scowling when she caught Malfoy smirking at her.

oOo

"That's the last one, Professor." Hermione sighed wearily, putting up the freshly scoured cauldron. Her arms were aching something fierce. Thirty cauldrons, scoured to a mirror shine inside and out, without magic. "Anything else you want me to do for my detention?"

"No, Miss Granger." Professor Romanov said, toying with her quill as she studied a paper she was grading. "That will be all…"

"Well, I'm already ahead on my revising, so I guess I'll go study some more-"

"One moment, Miss Granger," Ana said, looking up at her. "I am curious about your opinion on something related to one of my…side projects."

"Sure, Professor."

For a moment, Professor Romanov just sat there, idly tapping a black-gloved finger on her desk, as if deep in thought. Hermione braced herself, mentally going over every potion they had covered in the Advanced Potions class following the end of the war, eager to please. A chance to win back some points, she hoped.

"What is your opinion of Professor Snape?"Ana finally said, her cool gray eyes locked to Hermione's.

It was several minutes until Hermione could even think of a response, standing there before the Potions professor with her mouth agape. She felt as if her brain were stuffed with cotton.

"I…I…um-"

"Rest assured," Ana said quietly, trying to conserve what little voice she had left, "I am curious about how his students feel about him. You seem very observant, so I decided to ask your opinion."

Hermione felt completely flustered, for one of the few times in her life, but regained her mental balance quickly.

"I'll answer your question," she said, biting her lip, "if you'll answer one of mine first."

Ana struggled to conceal a smirk of admiration, leaning back in her chair.

_I could really come to like this girl_, she thought smugly. _She is very much a lion, a Gryffindor lion._

"Alright." Ana said, "I agree. What is your question?"

"I've never seen you in anything other than long sleeves, and you always wear gloves. Why?"

Suddenly, Ana found herself on the defensive, panic rising in her abruptly, her cheeks flushing scarlet. Before she could stop herself, she had stood up, taking Hermione by her school tie and backing her up against the wall. Hermione was gasping for breath, her eyes bulging in terror when Ana finally came to her senses, releasing her. Hermione slid to the floor, her fingers struggling to loosen her tie as she gulped in air, trembling in fear. Ana stood over her student, shaking in rage as she fought to calm herself down.

_I shouldn't have done that._ Ana reproached herself. _I…my temper…I must not lose control like that, not with a student._

"I…" Ana said softly, "I am sorry for that…I agreed to your terms. I…must answer your question. It is only fair. I'm sorry for what I did."

She offered her hand to Hermione, who hesitantly took it, allowing Ana to help her up.

"What I tell you must never leave this room." Ana said, warily eyeing her student.

"Agreed." Hermione nodded, straightening her clothes, still a bit nervous.

"I was injured during the war." Ana began, tugging her left sleeve back into place, a minor adjustment. "I…Some students at Beauxbatons were trapped in a dormitory by Death Eaters…they set the dormitory on fire. With Fiendfyre. I tried to save them, but…"

"So…you were burned?"

"Yes." Ana replied softly. "Rather…badly. It took me nearly eight months to…recover."

_No need for a student to know __everything_, Ana thought to herself.

"So…that's why I wear the long sleeves and gloves. To cover up…my scars."

"I see…" Hermione said thoughtfully. "I'm sorry that I asked, Professor. I didn't mean to pry."

"No, it's alright. You are curious by nature. I am sorry I got angry with you." Ana said sincerely. "I…well, as you can see, it's still quite difficult for me to talk about. When it happened…well, I thought my career was over with. It took a long time for me to go back to the classroom, to face students again."

"Professor, I understand. What did you want to know about Professor Snape?"

"Well, I've been reading to him in the afternoons. According to Poppy, that can stimulate a comatose patient; perhaps help them to…wake up."

"That's why you lost your voice, right?"

"Yes." Ana admitted, sitting back down at her desk. "I suppose I overdid it. But that's beside the point. What do you think of Snape?"

"Well, he's always been an irritable git, impossible to please." Hermione said, ticking off her points on her fingers. "A terror in the classroom, demanding perfection, a strict disciplinarian. Even most of his house are afraid of him, I think."

Ana smiled at her description.

"Sounds like him." She admitted frankly, smiling.

"Absolutely brilliant as a Potions teacher." Hermione went on. "He's not my favorite teacher, but I have to admit he is one of the best instructors here. He knows just about everything, about every subject. Yet he's very modest about it."

"I see."

"I have to say this, too. He deserves far more credit than he got for what he did in the war. If it wouldn't have been for him, and what he did, many of us wouldn't have survived. The Dark Lord might have won, even. He's a hero."

"Yes," Ana said quietly. "I agree. Miss Granger, that will be all. Fifty points to Gryffindor, and my heartfelt apologies for my losing my temper."

When the door closed behind the bushy haired student, Ana went back to grading essays, and tried not to think about Severus.

_I will be more professional._ She sighed to herself. _I will not let myself give in to obsession._

Ivan softly hooted, swiveling his head to look at her over his shoulder, his amber eyes mocking her.

She picked up a bit of cloth and carefully wiped the ink off her quill, slow, careful movements that were somehow soothing to her raw nerves.

_The last time I saw him, in Brussels at the Potions Society Convention last year; we made eye contact, but didn't even speak to each other. He simply turned and walked the other way. I could have followed him, made him talk to me, but I didn't._

_I should have_, she thought with a twinge of guilt.

_He looked terrible, so tired and careworn. Knowing what I know now, I would give anything to have that moment back, to have another chance._

_A perfect opportunity to talk, yet neither of us were willing to cover even a short distance to have a conversation. He was only a few feet away from me, but he may as well have been on another continent._

_What will I do when he wakes up?_

She laid her quill down with a heavy sigh, leaning over the papers on her desk.

_If he wakes up_, she chided herself, a single tear rolling down her cheek to fall with a quiet splat on the parchment before her.

_IF he wakes up._

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Chapter 3~

July 20, 1998~

"Mincing the valerian root with the silver knife tends to introduce cross-contamination into the delicate alkyd compounds so essential…"

Ana shook her head in disbelief, giving an impolite snort of disgust.

"Can you believe the nerve of this Slyzanany fellow! Incredible!" She said to Severus, her voice dripping with contempt. "Everyone knows that Markham proved that old wives' tale incorrect in 1929!"

Glancing over at him again, she sighed deeply and rubbed her eyes.

"Well, everyone except Slyznany, I suppose. What can you expect from a third-class hack like him? They probably published his article just to let him make a fool of himself. I'm going to mark this; I think I may have to send them an owl about this moron and his theories."

His chest moved, up and down, breathing at the normal twelve to fourteen breaths a minute. She'd counted them herself, timing them with her grandfather's old Muggle pocket watch. Only two weeks ago, Poppy had approved of her reading to him again, pronouncing her voice healed. But she had sternly warned Ana to take frequent breaks, and drink plenty of fluids, and above all, get more rest. And eat more. Always, Poppy insisting that she eat more, like some nosy bashbuka.

Ana sighed heavily, rubbing her eyes again. So much scrutiny, she could hardly bear it. She'd told Poppy she wasn't that hungry lately, and what if she was a bit thin? Years of dance training and gymnastics, as well as the fencing and horseback riding at Durmstang, had pared most nonessential weight from her body. She was strong and limber, still very much the athlete she had been as a student. What were a few kilos lost, to her, while he lay there, wasting away completely?

But there was no change in his condition, no improvement. Ana had long ago given up on her resolution to not cry, at least when she was alone with Severus. She habitually cast a silencing charm, supposedly to make sure not to disturb the other patients with her reading to him. It was a wise decision. One evening, late in the evening two weeks ago, she had finally lost control.

She shuddered at the memory.

ooOoo

"…gossander root, when dried and pulverized to a fine powder the consistency of ash, has the following properties in an elixir of tansy leaves and distilled water-"

Abruptly, she found herself on her feet, shaking with rage.

"Damn you, wake up, Severus! Wake up!" Ana shrieked at him, the July issue of Potions Monthly forgotten on the floor. She leapt up on the bed to straddle his chest, taking a double handful of the front of his hospital gown, pulling him just off the pillow for just a moment before having to let him back down on the pillows.

"Severus! Wake up!" She shouted, tears abruptly streaming down her cheeks, blurring her vision. Slowly, her hands unknotted themselves from his gown, a fierce cramp in her right hand. Little dark spots appeared on his gown as her tears fell upon it.

"Severus…oh, please…I'm begging you…I…need you…" Ana sobbed, slumping forward to collapse on his chest, her slim body racked with her grief. Lapsing into her mother tongue, as she often did under stress, she buried her face in his chest and wept in despair.

"пожалуйста, пожалуйста проснуться, дорогая ... вернись ко мне ... Я прошу тебя..."

Eventually, the Russian was replaced by her weeping, noisy, heartrending sobs at first, tapering off to quieter sniffles. For a long time, the silence in the room was only punctuated by the sound of their breathing, or the occasional sob or later, hiccups from Ana as she lay atop him, feeling completely drained emotionally. Trembling slightly, she came to her senses, slowly realizing that her skirt had ridden up and now her bare thighs were against the thin sheet that covered him.

_Ох боги._ She thought, a surge of warmth sweeping through her, _I'm sitting astraddle Snape as if he's a horse…and that's his…_

Blushing fiercely, she quickly got off the bed and straightened up her skirts, nearly stumbling, feeling a bit too warm all of a sudden. Her knees felt weak. She unsteadily sat down in the chair, unbuttoning the top two buttons of her blouse and retrieving the copy of Potions Monthly she'd thrown on the floor, using it to fan herself.

_I mustn't do that again. Ever._

_I'm glad the silencing charm was up. Merlin only knows what Poppy or the medical staff would have done had they heard my little outburst._

_Or seen me sitting astride him, my skirt hiked up, with only a thin panel of silk, a sheet, and a cotton gown between us…_

She shook her head, fighting to maintain some semblance of self-control and dignity. Closing her eyes, she breathed, concentrating on centering, on her Occlumency exercises. _Breathe in, breathe out. Find your centre. Breathe in, breathe out._

After several minutes, she was finally calmed down, at least to the point where she could think again. She went to the loo and washed her face, and drank some water, then returned to her chair beside him. Picking up the Potions Monthly with a shaky hand, she found where she'd left off, and with difficulty, began to read again.

"If…if the gossander root is added to the mixture…before adding the beetle eyes, caution should be exercised when stirring to be precise and smooth with the glass rod or…the root will not properly be dissolved into the mixture, creating a hazardous, lumpy brew that could react explosively to the addition of beetle eyes. At the same time, if the mixture is stirred for too long…"

ooOoo

"I've been behaving myself well since then, Severus." She whispered to the silent figure on the bed. "Haven't I?"

_Well, as well as I can, especially around him._ She thought, and then blushed. Her dreams had taken some rather perverse turns lately.

_You're not some old maid, you know._ She chided herself. _You're an adult witch with needs, and desires, and…_

_STOP IT._ She scolded herself. _Not here, not now, not any time. That kind of thinking is totally inappropriate here. I'm here to read to him, that's all. To stimulate his mind, to bring him out of this cursed state…_

_Is that all you want to stimulate? You know you want him. How many nights have you awakened, roiling with lust, dreaming of that night in France? _ a voice in her mind said. _Remember how those long slender fingers felt on your bare skin, caressing you?_

_You still crave his touch, don't you?_

She dropped the magazine, covering her cheeks in her hands like a shy schoolgirl, her face nearly as red as her scarlet blouse.

_Oh, gods. I have to get control of myself here. This is Professor Snape, not some boy. And I'm a professor, a professional, not some love-mad schoolgirl-_

She swallowed nervously, retrieving the magazine and turning the pages until she'd found where she'd left off reading.

_I feel like I'm going mad. Day after day, reading to him, talking to him, with no response at all-_

She dropped the magazine, slumping forward in the chair to bury her face in her hands with a long, shuddering sigh.

_I really don't know how much more of this I can take._

ooOoo

A week later, things turned for the worse.

It was a lovely day, and Ana was looking forward to opening some of the windows that morning when she went to the Hospital Wing to read to Severus. She had bathed and dressed, and was brushing out her hair, when there was a knock at her door. With an annoyed groan, she went to the door and opened it, to find Poppy on the other side.

"Good morning, Professor Romanov-" The Medi-witch said, "Oh, my…what beautiful hair you have! And so long, too! Why, it's down past your waist!"

"Good morning, Poppy." She replied politely, struggling to conceal her irritation, "Won't you come in? I was just getting dressed, and needed to put my hair up before I went to breakfast-"

"Oh, I can't stay long, Ana. I need to run some errands, and I'll be away for a week or two."

"I see…" Realization slowly dawned on her that Poppy ran the hospital wing mostly by herself during the summer, allowing her help to take a holiday.

"But Poppy," Ana said with a frown, half dreading what the response might be, "Who will take care of…your patients?"

"Patients? What patients? I have only the one right now; Professor Snape." Poppy chuckled. "That's why I'm here to see you. You have had healer training, correct?"

Ana felt her heart sink.

_Oh, no_, she thought uneasily._ Surely she doesn't expect me to-_

"You've been taking such good care of Severus, I figured that you could handle his daily care for just a week, right? " Poppy went on, pulling a scrap of parchment out of her pocket. "Bath and toilet in the morning first thing, change the sheets and blankets, and so on. It's pretty easy. Read to him, talk to him, and let me know if there is any change in his condition."

Numbly, she felt Poppy press the parchment into her hand.

"Poppy…" She said, feeling the beginnings of panic, "Surely this isn't a good idea. Can't you get someone else…I mean, it's been a long time since my healer course that I took, and it was just the one, nothing more than basic first aid-"

"Not on such short notice, Ana. Unfortunately, the rest of my staff has gone off on summer holiday." The Medi-witch said, patting her on the arm reassuringly. "It's just for a week. I'll be back before you know it, don't you worry. Just floo me if you have any problems."

She watched, horrified, as Poppy swept out the door, closing it behind her.

_This is like my worst dream come _true, Ana thought, staring at the closed door as she clutched the parchment in her hand. _Truly, the gods are mocking me…_

ooOoo

"Minerva, are you sure this is wise?"

The Headmistress turned from the window to look at Poppy, now seated in one of the chairs in front of her desk.

"Given what I've seen so far, I don't think she would do him any harm…and she may be doing him a lot of good." Minerva said dryly. "He'll be fine, Poppy. She'll take good care of him."

"That's not what I'm talking about!" Said the Medi-witch, leaning forward. "I'm worried about my patient. She's had some healer training, but she's not certified. What if she-"

"Poppy, you have house elves to help her with him. They will let me know if anything happens."

_Of course, they only report to me_, Minerva thought. _Good thing, what with that little 'indiscretion' of Ana's a few weeks ago. I'm glad I was able to talk the house elves into __not__ reporting that to Poppy, otherwise she wouldn't take a holiday at all._

_But then, that only served to confirm my suspicions of Professor Romanov. She was just a bit too eager to come here to teach Potions. At first, I was certain that she was hoping to secure the position of Potions professor on a permanent basis…but given what I've learned from Filch…and how much time she's spent with him, reading to him…_

_No,_ Minerva thought confidently, _there's more to Professor Romanov's concern than just normal concern for a fellow human being, or even a friend._

_Is she in love with him? I think that's more likely than not. She's an attractive young witch, very intelligent, and an excellent teacher. He would find her attractive, assuming he ever got over Lily Evans._

_What happened between them?_

Turning her attention back to the Medi-witch, she took off her reading glasses and set them down on her desk.

"Poppy, there is no change in his condition?" She asked.

"None, Minerva." Poppy said, shaking her head sadly. "He just…exists. We feed him a high protein liquid diet, but he's still losing weight, still losing muscle mass."

The Headmistress rubbed her temples with her fingers, sighing.

"Go take your holiday, Poppy." She said, "Enjoy it; I'll be here, and I'll keep an eye on things. Nothing will happen to Severus, I'll make sure of that."

"I certainly hope not, Minerva." Poppy said, rising to go. "He's suffered enough as it is."

ooOoo

The Hospital wing seemed eerily quiet. Ana stood in the doorway of Severus' room, a cart with cleaning supplies, fresh linens, and a clean gown behind her. She'd decided to eat breakfast later; the way her tummy felt, she didn't think she could eat anything just yet.

_Best to get it over with_, she mused. _You can do this. You've seen boys and men naked before. They all look alike, right?_

For some reason, her feet were unwilling to cooperate this morning. No matter what, she couldn't seem to go in the room.

_For Merlin's sake, _she chided herself, _stop acting like some blushing virgin! You have a job to do!_

Steeling herself, she took a step, then another. Forcing herself to approach the bed, she felt lightheaded, as if she might faint.

_Just get it over with._

She took out the parchment to re-read her instructions.

"_Avoid using scourgify, use warm water and mild antibacterial soap instead. Patient seems to experience discomfort when levitated."_

She sighed, sticking the parchment back in her pocket.

_Just imagine you're back in the orphanage, helping take care of the younger kids. Or when you babysat for the neighbors' children when you were young. You've bathed plenty of little boys. It's easy._ Ana told herself, not feeling very encouraged at all.

Picking up the flannel and dipping it in the basin of warm water; she rubbed some soap on the flannel, and then picked up the sheets. Then proceeded to do what she was trying not to do; she looked under the sheet at him.

_That's not a boy under there,_ she thought, blushing and dropping the sheet. Forcing herself to look up, she slid her hands blindly under the sheet, pushing aside the hospital gown.

_I'll start at the feet, work my way up, skip…those parts, and then do his chest. Then, by the time I finish with his chest and back…I should be calm enough to tackle his…um, personal areas._

_That should work, _she told herself firmly. _Just try not to look at him any more than necessary._

She was still quite flushed in the face by the time she reached his hips and veered around to his abdomen. To keep her mind busy, she chose to construct a mental list of what sins she committed, in this life or any past ones, to deserve such a punishment. Ana was quite certain by now that the gods were having a good laugh at her predicament, and she wasn't so sure that Poppy didn't saddle her with it on purpose.

Slowly, she worked her way up his chest, washing, rinsing, and drying as she went. The wandless drying charm didn't seem to bother him, but she used it sparingly anyway. By now, she had to pause to take a break every few minutes, just so she could fan herself and try to calm down. She hadn't counted on how much just touching him would bother her, or the effects it might have on her physiologically.

_All I have left to do is wash his hair…and his um…personal areas…_Ana thought, putting down the flannel and walking to the loo, where she splashed cold water on her face, trying to ignore the burning knot of desire in her belly that wouldn't go away. _Oh, Merlin…how am I going to get through today, let alone a whole week of this?_

_You still want him_, nagged the little voice in the back of her mind. _He was your first, and that made him special, didn't it? You want to be with him again, to feel his touch, those slender fingers on your body, his-_

"Rubbish." Ana muttered angrily, drying her face. Steeling herself, she went back to his bedside.

_Alright, hair first_, she thought briskly.

She went back to his bed and slid her hand under his head, lifting it up and setting it on a towel. Wetting his hair with the flannel, she deftly worked lather up with the shampoo, working it through his black hair, massaging his scalp gently. Then she froze.

He had moved.

Not much, just a slight shift of his head, with a contented sigh to accompany it.

Ana found herself unable to move, her hands cradling his wet hair and his head gently. She watched his eyes intently, but they did not open. Fear and longing warred within her; there was nothing she wanted more at that point in time than for him to open his eyes, yet the prospect terrified her.

_What would I say to him?_

She swallowed nervously and continued to wash his hair, carefully rinsing and drying it. He made no further movements, seemingly content to just lay there. After she finished, she went to the bathroom and got a drink of water, leaning against the sink.

_You're stalling again._ She chided herself, soaping up the flannel again, preparing herself mentally to wash the last part, the areas she had been dreading.

_What will I do if he wakes up?_ Ana thought, blushing deeply. _Say, Good morning, Severus, I'm washing your privates, don't mind me?_

_If he wakes up, I'll just die from embarrassment, I think. I really will. I'll just find a crack in the floor tile and crawl down in it to hide._

Taking a deep breath and casting her eyes toward the ceiling to murmur a silent prayer to bolster her courage, she lifted the sheet and reached under it with the flannel. With no small effort, she rolled him on his side to do his backside first, still putting off the other areas. When she finished, she swallowed nervously, then reached between his legs to begin washing him there. After that, sliding her hand up, she gritted her teeth and looked up toward the ceiling again, closing her eyes as her hand made contact with his…

She yanked her hand away as if she'd been burned.

_Oh, gods. I…I just can't._ Dropping the flannel on the cart in the basin, she went back to the loo. She washed her face with cold water, twice, then conjured a glass and filled it, drinking it down as she leaned weakly against the wall. _Vanishing _the glass, she rubbed her eyes.

_You've seen him before, touched him before, _sneered a little voice in her head, cruelly mocking her. _You liked it then, so why are you pretending to be so shy now? Hypocrite._

_You know you want him._

"Shut up." Ana hissed, pressing her hands to the sides of her head and closing her eyes. After a few minutes, she washed her face with cold water once again. When she finally felt that she had recovered some measure of self-control, she went back to finish the job.

Compared to the bed bath, it took her virtually no time at all to change the linens on the bed and his hospital gown. She changed his gown with him under the sheet, her eyes firmly fixed on the ceiling.

_Coward_, she scolded herself.

She collected her supplies and the cart, and wheeled it back to its storage area, disposing of the dirty linens in the laundry chute. Then she headed straight to the nearest floo, at the front of the hospital wing, her black boots clicking on the stone floor.

ooOoo

The worst part of her conversation with Poppy that afternoon was when the Medi-witch asked why she didn't just simply summon the house elves to help her with bathing Snape and changing his linens. Stunned, Ana just sat there in front of the floo, blinking stupidly.

_I should have thought of that_, she scolded herself. _I knew that, it was on the list...I'm such a moron._

"You know, dear, the house elves take care of his catheter and bedpan around the clock so he doesn't soil himself." Poppy had said. "You'll hurt yourself trying to move him around all by yourself, dear. Don't be foolish."

_I am so stupid_, Ana thought, rubbing her forehead. She almost completely forgot to mention what else had happened.

"Oh, Poppy…while I was washing his hair, he moved a bit."

"Really? That's good, but don't get too excited. He may be coming out of the comatose state, but don't get your hopes up, just wait and see what happens. You can't rush this kind of thing."

"I…I know." She sighed. "I just thought it might be a good sign."

"Ana, these things take time. Right now, Severus' body is healing, but there's no way to tell how long the process will take." The older woman said gently, smiling at her through the green flames. "I just don't want you to get your hopes up too much, only to have them dashed. Do I need to come back to help you?"

"Um, no, no!" Ana said, just a bit too quickly.

_Smooth, Professor Romanov, _she thought.

"I…I think I can handle this," Ana said, "especially after you reminded me to get the house elves to help. I just forgot, I suppose."

"Yes, they do a good job with him, keeping his private parts clean and dry." Poppy chuckled. "It's much like taking care of an infant, isn't it?"

Ana cringed, ashamed to remember her angry outburst when she manhandled Severus in his bed. _I could have really hurt him, thanks to my emotions…and I forget how strong my arm is._

"Ana? Are you still there?"

"Um, yes, I'm still here, Poppy."

"Don't work yourself too hard, dear. Let the house elves help you, they don't mind at all. They respect Severus quite a bit, you know."

"Alright." She replied, with a deep sigh. "I think I'm going to get a book and read to him a bit, before it's time for lunch. I'll floo you if anything else comes up. Thank you, Poppy."

"Goodbye, dear."

The flames shifted from green to their more normal colors, and she sighed again, rubbing her eyes wearily.

_I thought I was able to handle this…but I'm starting to wonder._

ooOoo

Author's notes:

My youngest son studies Russian; I actually don't know it that well myself. Fascinating language, though. Translation errors are my own, probably magnified by Gxxgle Translate. Hey, Tolkien made up a language, but I'm not that talented. ;-)

"пожалуйста, пожалуйста проснуться, дорогая ... вернись ко мне ... Я прошу тебя..." translates as, "please, please wake up, darling…come back to me, I'm begging you…"

"Ох боги." – Oh gods.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Chapter 4~

"Ana?"

She sat up on the cot that she'd transfigured from the chair, rubbing sleep from her eyes in the late afternoon light. Tucking away some stray hair that had escaped her braid, she turned to the doorway.

"Oh…good morning, Headmistress." She said, blushing a bit.

Minerva walked in, transfiguring a flannel on the bedside table into a comfy armchair and sitting down.

"You look dreadful, Ana." She said gently, eyes full of warmth. "When was the last time you really slept well? That cot can't be all that comfortable."

"We just had a bad night last night, and an awful morning." Ana replied, stifling a yawn. "He…I think he may be getting closer to waking up. At least I hope so. He's definitely not getting any easier to take care of."

Frowning, Minerva leaned forward, taking Ana by the chin and turning her head. A small abrasion marred the younger woman's pale cheek, the fair skin already showing signs of what would undoubtedly be a fine bruise.

"What happened?" She asked, releasing Ana's chin.

"I…I was cleaning his neck this morning, getting ready to change the dressing on the bite." Ana said, unconsciously reaching up to touch her injury. "He struck out at me, as if he were trying to fight me off. Just screamed and started fighting. It was an accident, I just happened to be in the way, he was just flailing around blindly."

"But he never woke?"

"No…he never opened his eyes." Ana said miserably. She didn't mention anything else.

_No need for the Headmistress to know any of that, _she thought, turning away so Minerva didn't see the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes.

ooOoo

She laid on the floor for a long moment, stunned, her hand to her left cheek where he'd struck her. The ringing in her ear had dimmed somewhat, but she still felt a bit dizzy.

He was still now, the sheets a tangle around his upper body, pillows on the floor.

Ana cautiously got up, steadying herself on the bedside table. Picking up the flannel and the soap, she set them back on the cart and _vanished_ the water on the floor from the overturned basin. Rubbing her hip where she'd struck the cart when she fell-_that's going to leave a good bruise_, she thought-she carefully approached the bed.

He lay on his left side, his back to her, trembling violently with tears streaming down his cheeks. Warily, she went around to the other side of the bed, clean flannel in hand. She'd been cleaning his neck around the nearly healed bites from the Dark Lord's snake when it had happened, so suddenly she had no chance to protect herself. With a scream, he'd flailed his arms, hitting her in the left cheekbone, knocking her down.

Ana cautiously reached out with her good hand, the one with no glove on it, and gently, carefully touched his forehead, running her fingers along the crease in his forehead.

"Shush, it's alright. You're safe, darling." She said softly, caressing his forehead, watching the worry lines fade away as he relaxed. "Ты в безопасности, я не сделаю тебе больно, дорогая."

Slowly, the tension in his body melted away, and Ana felt she could relax a bit. He allowed her to finish washing him, and to change his gown and linens. Exhausted, she perched on the edge of the bed. She rubbed her temples, trying to get some relief from the headache that was coming on, causing a pounding in her head that was nearly unbearable.

_It must be all the stress_, she thought. _I didn't use to get headaches like this._

_I wish you would just wake up, Severus, _she thought sadly, watching him breathe. _It doesn't even matter if you get angry that I'm here, that you would want me to leave._

_I just want you to be back with us again._

_Because this is worse than seeing you dead, a thousand times worse._

_I would do anything to have you back again,_ she thought miserably, a tear rolling down her cheek.

She took his hand, limp but warm in hers, biting her lip.

_I shouldn't do this, _she thought, then sighed. _Who's going to catch me?_

She pulled out her wand, quietly closing the door and warding it, and then laid her wand on the bedside table. Moving Severus' left arm away from his body just a bit, she climbed onto the bed and lay down beside him, nestling into the side of his chest, her ear to his heart. Her eyes filled with tears as she lay there, just listening to his heartbeat, just feeling the steady rhythm of his breathing.

"Just for a little bit, Severus," she whispered sadly, "So I can pretend that you are mine…and I am yours."

_Because soon, all too soon, you will awaken_, she thought, closing her eyes. _And then, this will all be over, and I will return to Beauxbatons…and try to forget you, once again._

ooOoo

"Ana?"

She sat up, startled, stray hair everywhere from where it had somehow escaped her braid during the night. She'd fallen asleep sitting next to Severus' bed, her head pillowed on her arms, her fingers intertwined with his. She let go of his hand, a guilty blush on her cheeks.

Poppy was standing at the foot of Severus' bed, looking down at her with concern.

"Merlin, what happened to your cheek?" The Medi-witch asked, leaning over to take a better look. Today, the bruise was quite lovely-a mix of purple, blue, and green, about thirty millimeters across and contrasting sharply against her fair skin. Ana had rubbed some dittany on it the night before, and that had helped a bit, but the damage was done.

"I…well…I was cleaning his neck and…he hit me. I think he thought the snake was after him again, perhaps."

"Did he wake up?" Poppy asked, excitement shining in her eyes.

"No." Ana said glumly.

"But that's excellent!" The Medi-witch said brightly. "He could be getting closer to waking up!"

"Poppy, is…is there any way to tell if he's going to wake up soon?"

"Not really, dear. The brain is funny about injuries, even with magic we can't really predict what will happen with it."

Ana rubbed her eyes, and then stretched.

"Well, does this mean that I'm off duty as a healer?" She said hopefully. "It would be nice to sleep in my own bed tonight, have a long soak in a hot bath maybe."

"Did he say anything when he hit you?" Poppy asked, taking her wand out and running a few diagnostic spells on Severus.

"Nothing intelligible." Ana replied, leaning against the windowsill to watch the Medi-witch check her patient. "Just some sort of yell, nothing I could understand…a primal vocalization."

"Hmm. Well, he's fine, so you are free to go."

"I…I'll be up later to read to him..." Ana said hesitantly, picking up her books to put in her bag. "If that's alright."

"Oh, of course, dear." Poppy smiled. "Severus probably looks forward to it!"

Ana smiled, in a kind of formal way that didn't reflect how she felt, then left the room.

_I don't want to leave him_, she thought as she slowly walked toward her rooms.

_What will I do when he wakes up? That's the big question, the one I can't come up with an answer for._

_But it will have to be answered, and soon._

ooOoo

_It's so dark here. I can hardly see, he thought._

_Where am I? _

_Nagini had come back, he knew that. He'd driven the hateful snake away, though, without being bitten this time._

_His surroundings put him to mind of Hogwarts, though Hogwarts had never been this dark and dreary. Gray stone underfoot, with towers that were mostly rubble. Mist obscured distant mountains, with little wind to carry it away. Turning his head, he saw a figure approaching, shimmering in the mists._

_As the figure slowly drew closer, he could see that it was a woman. She was dressed in a simple peasant skirt and blouse, barefoot on the gray stone, with fair skin and dark hair._

_Now, she was speaking to him, caressing his face._

"_Ты в безопасности, я не сделаю тебе больно, дорогая." She said softly, her touch gentle and kind._

_Russian? Who? Where was he?_

_The scene around him blurred, though the woman was still there, dressed in a sheer white robe._

_They were standing in a clearing, with huge trees towering overhead all around them. It was snowing, big fat fluffy flakes of it, snowflakes glistening in her hair as she smiled at him. She slid her arms around him, hugging him close to her as she murmured quiet endearments into his chest. He tensed, unsure of this. This is madness, he thought, women don't just hug me. Not even Lily._

"_I am not Lily," she said, raising gray eyes to look at him. "I am your future."_

"_Who are you? What is this place?" He asked, glancing around them again._

"_You are trapped in your mind, suffering from Nagini's venom."_

"_Then, you must be a hallucination." He said sharply._

"_If I were a hallucination," She laughed, "could I do this?"_

_She stroked his face gently, raising her lips to his. They were soft, and tasted of honey and cinnamon._

_He relaxed, allowing himself to drift away, his arms closing around her._

_When she broke the kiss, smiling shyly at him, he sighed._

"_I still think you are a hallucination." He whispered._

"_Then I will kiss you some more. But I caution you, our time together is short. Soon, you will have to go back to where you came from, to your life."_

"_But I won't see you again." He said anxiously, reluctant to see her go._

"_You will." She smiled. "You just have to find me. Now, rest. Heal."_

_He relaxed, drifting back into the void._

ooOoo

After spending most of the afternoon reading to Severus, with only a short break for dinner, Ana went back to her rooms. She felt rather out of place spending time there, after having spent nearly a week in the hospital wing with him.

But even her time reading to him was coming to an end, for the most part. If he didn't wake up in the next few weeks, she would be fully involved in teaching classes when fall term began.

_Even if he does wake up soon, he won't be able to teach yet, not until he's strong enough to get around, to lecture,_ she realized. _No matter what, I'm trapped here, until he can teach. I'll have to avoid him as best I can, until then._

_Because I surely cannot face him again…not now._

_Not after what happened to me…_

She shuddered at the memory, dropping her bag on the desk and heading to the bathroom after locking and warding her door.

Turning on the taps for her tub, she cast a warming charm to hold the temperature exactly where she preferred it, and then began to undress. Dropping her skirt and the maroon top in the clothes hamper for the laundry, along with her bra and panties, she happened to catch a glimpse of herself in the mirror as she walked to the tub. She turned the water off, and then turned back to the mirror, looking at her reflection again. For a long moment, she just stood silently, looking at herself, fists tightly clenched.

Looking at her reflection in the glass.

At the bruise on her face, all purple and green today, with hints of blue.

At the circles under her eyes.

At the terrible, ugly scars that covered half of her right arm and nearly the entire left side of her body, from her shoulder to her slender calf…at her left arm.

_And just like that, suddenly she was back at Beauxbatons, in the bell tower, the acrid smell of Fiendfyre sharp in her nostrils, hearing the students screaming in the dormitory as the Death Eaters burned them alive. Blasting the heavy stones again and again with Bombarda Maxima, draining her magic frantically as she fought to get the doors open. Grabbing the burning wood of the door with her bare hands, the smell of her hands cooking in the flames as she strained to pull the wreckage of the door away, the awful pain of the Fiendfyre as it ate through her robes to sear her flesh. Realizing that now her screams were added to the cries of the dying students and faculty trapped inside the dormitory. The acrid smell of her hair burning. The pitiful hand, burned beyond recognition, reaching for her as the student died._

_I failed her_, she thought bitterly. _I couldn't save her; I couldn't save any of them. I killed sixty-three Death Eaters that day, but I couldn't save a single child in that dormitory. I-_

Ana swayed for a moment, the room seeming to spin around her, her left hand instinctively grasping at the edge of the sink to catch herself as her knees gave way. Nausea swept through her, sending her stumbling toward the loo, falling to her knees before it as she retched violently. When her stomach had emptied itself, she flushed, sliding to the floor, shivering against the cool stone as she wept.

_He wouldn't want me, if he saw what I look like now. No man on earth would want me. I'm ugly, a hideous monster. A failure._

_I shouldn't have left him to fend for himself in Porto-Pollo. I rejected him, driving him away, into the arms of a woman long dead. I could have saved him._

_Lily could not; she chose another, yet Severus still wanted her._

_Would he have chosen me over her, given the choice?_

_It doesn't matter, does it? I took that choice away from him, abandoned him when he needed me._

_How could I even dare to think that I have any claim to him?_

_He would never want me. I was ugly and hateful to him._

_And now, I'm ugly._

She wept, freely and openly, hugging herself next to the loo, lying there naked and shivering on the cold stone floor.

When she could cry no more, she slipped on her dressing gown and went to the icebox, retrieving a bottle of vodka and a water glass. Returning to the bathroom, she conjured a small table, putting it next to the tub, placing the glass on it and filling it with the clear liquor. Setting the bottle down, she dropped her robe and climbed into the steamy water of the tub.

_Tomorrow is Saturday_, she thought, retrieving her glass and taking a drink. _Сегодня я буду пить, пока я не забыл._

_Poppy will have to find someone else to read to him. I'm finished; I can't do it any longer. I just can't take it any more of this. Tomorrow, I'm packing my bag and handing in my resignation._

_And then I will buy a portkey for the farthest point of the earth from Hogwarts, where I will never be found._

_Because in the end, I'm just a coward._

_I don't deserve him._

ooOoo

Minerva was in her office the next morning, sipping her tea while she listened to the house elf's report.

"So, Tilly," She said, setting down her cup, "Professor Romanov finished cleaning up Professor Snape, and then changed his gown and linens?"

"Yes, Headmistress," Tilly said, nodding her head, twisting the hem of her white flannel that she wore. "Then Professor Romanov, she got into the bed with Professor Snape. She lay down with him, put her head on his chest, and cried. She cried for a long time, she did."

"Tilly, in your opinion, was there any improper behavior on the part of Professor Romanov?"

"No, Headmistress." The house elf said, shaking her head. "Professor Romanov, she cares about Professor Snape very much, she never do anything wrong. She cries, she wishes he would wake up. But she is afraid he will send her away. Give her clothes."

The house elf shuddered visibly at this last part.

_So_, Minerva thought,_ Professor Romanov shared Severus' hospital bed for a while, hmm? How interesting._

Suddenly her floo flared to life with green flames, Poppy's head appearing in them.

"Minerva! Are you there?" She shouted urgently.

With a _pop_, Tilly vanished.

"Yes, Poppy, I'm here." The Headmistress replied, setting her quill down and crossing her office to the fireplace. "What on earth is going on? Is Severus awake?"

"I wish that was what it was! It…it's Professor Romanov, Headmistress. You'd better come down to the Hospital wing right away."

Minerva took a handful of floo powder, tossing it into the fireplace.

"Hospital wing." She said, stepping into the flames.

Poppy was waiting on her, wringing her hands nervously. A house elf that Minerva didn't recognize sat on the floor, wailing and banging her head against the stones.

"Stop it!" Minerva snapped, kneeling down to grab the house elf by to stop her from abusing herself. "Who are you, and who do you serve?"

"Myrtle, Headmistress." The house elf sniffled. "I was supposed to serve the nice Potions Mistress, I was. But I failed, I failed! Myrtle is a bad, bad, terrible elf! Myrtle allowed the nice Professor to hurt herself! Myrtle was too busy to check on her, Myrtle should have not listened to her when she said she wanted to be alone! Myrtle will iron her ears! Myrtle will slam her fingers in the doors of the Great Hall! Myrtle will-"

"Enough, already!" Minerva thundered, eyes flashing. The house elf stumbled backward, fleeing to hide under Poppy's desk.

"Poppy, take me to her, now." The Headmistress said. "What happened?"

"The house elf was in her rooms to pick up her laundry, she found her in the tub." Poppy said, pushing open a door. "I don't think she was under the water that long, she seems to be alright, but she'd been drinking. She's not awake yet."

"Drinking? What, firewhiskey?"

"Vodka." Poppy said grimly. "The bottle the house elf found in the bathroom with her was nearly empty. It'll be a thousand wonders if she doesn't have alcohol poisoning, as petite as she is. When I got her down here, she was blue, had aspirated some water. Lord knows, she was about shriveled up like a prune, she'd been in the tub so long."

Ana lay unmoving, nearly as pale and lifeless as Severus, on the bed, only her face and right arm showing above the blankets that covered her. Her hair was gathered into a loose ponytail, curled up beside her. Her lips were still a bit blue, but her chest was rising and falling regularly, the only movement on the bed.

"You foolish girl." Minerva said softly, shaking her head in dismay. "You foolish, foolish girl. What have you done to yourself?"

ooOoo

Author's notes:

Ты в безопасности, я не сделаю тебе больно, дорогая. – "You're safe, I won't hurt you, darling."

Сегодня я буду пить, пока я не забыл. – "Tonight, I will drink until I forget."

I'm a huge nerd when it comes to words, and collect them enthusiastically. So, here is the word that captured my attention today, when I began writing this chapter:

induratize

(v.) to make one's own heart hardened or resistant to someone's pleas or advances, or to the idea of love. Pronunciation: in-'dur-a-tīz

For some reason, that word has a lot of significance to me personally. Odd that I don't believe in the idea of love, but write so much about it.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Chapter 5~

"_It's time for you to leave me."_

"_I murdered Dumbledore. I can't go back there."_

"_You ended his suffering, maintained your deception of the Dark Lord so that he could be defeated. Set the stage, laid a trap for him, all to buy time for Harry Potter to become strong enough to defeat him. Right to the end, Voldemort never doubted your loyalty, and it led to his downfall."_

"_Who would trust me now? Severus said, deeply ashamed. By staying true to one master, I betrayed another…yet I killed the master I was loyal to."_

_Silence._

"_They'll put me in Azkaban. They'll break my wand. I'll never brew potions, never do magic again."_

"_You must go back, Severus. Our time is up."_

"_Don't leave me!"_

_She turned to go, her form blurring before his eyes. Desperately, he reached out to catch her shimmering dress, grasping it in his hand. He pulled on it, but it simply dissipated in his fingers._

_She was gone._

_In her place was a door, in a decrepit ruin of an old mansion._

_With a trembling hand, he reached for the knob, and then paused._

_He could hear something from within._

"_Help me…please…"_

_He opened the door, squinting his eyes against the brilliant light._

ooOoo

A gray stone ceiling and walls, with white drapes. From the light coming in the window, he could tell that the sun was just barely up. He felt as if he had gravel under his eyelids, and the bit of light coming in through the curtains hurt his eyes.

He wiggled his toes experimentally. Difficult, but certainly doable. His body felt stiff, heavy and rather awkward, with his neck feeling especially stiff.

Glancing to either side, as his eyes adapted to the light and were able to focus better, he saw a bedside table, a window. In the distance, the Whomping Willow.

_I'm alive._ Severus thought. _Unless heaven or hell resembles the hospital wing at Hogwarts. I think it would probably be either hell, or perhaps purgatory. But not heaven._

He began to hunt for the call bell, and when he finally found it, he rang it. Several times, over and over again, with just a bit of malicious pleasure. He'd never been a very pleasant patient during his past confinements to the Hospital Wing, and he had no intentions of behaving any differently now.

ooOoo

Poppy was enjoying a bit of morning tea and a pleasant chat with Minerva in the Great Hall while the house elves cleared the breakfast dishes, the faint clinks and rustling echoing in the empty hall. Picking up her cup of tea, she cradled the cup in both hands, closing her eyes and enjoying the warmth of it on her hands. She had just taken a sip when she felt and heard the tiny device in her pocket start to buzz.

"Oh, dear." She frowned, setting her cup down on its saucer and digging in her pocket.

"What is it, Poppy?"

"Oh, it's my staff calling me," She said, holding the buzzing device up and switching it off. "I got this for them to inform me when they need me in the infirmary…and Ana was fine earlier, still resting…"

Her eyes went wide as she realized what her assistant had most likely summoned her for, glancing at the Headmistress with widening eyes.

"Severus." Both women said, almost as one, and flew from the Great Hall.

ooOoo

As they approached his room, they could easily hear him arguing with the Assistant Healer, long before they reached the doorway.

"I will NOT be pawed at, thank you." He hissed.

Poppy and Minerva walked into the room to find Severus struggling to get up from the bed, with the young Healer trying to prevent it, with only marginal success. He was sitting upright in the bed, glowering balefully at the young witch. When she glanced behind her and saw Poppy, her expression lost a bit of its panic and gained some relief, though she was still quite upset.

"Severus." Poppy said calmly, "What do you think you are doing? You've been in a coma for nearly three months!"

"I'm getting out of here, Poppy." He growled, swinging his legs out of the bed, preparing to stand up.

"Sir, please!" Said the young Healer, veering toward a full panic now. "You really shouldn't get up—"

He scowled at her, a cruel glare that forced her to retreat, trembling visibly.

"Severus, I must advise you against getting up." Poppy said.

"Poppy, as much as I enjoy being a guest in your fine establishment, I really would prefer to sleep in my own bed-"Severus said, pushing down with his hands and standing up, swaying just slightly as he stood before them.

"See? Fit as a fiddle." He smirked, taking a step toward the door. "It would seem that I no longer have need of your services."

Mustering what dignity he could in the flimsy hospital gown, he started toward the door.

Minerva and the young Healer winced as he fell flat on his face with a most profane oath.

"Nice ass." Poppy smirked.

The young healer blushed and fled the room.

Severus rolled over on his side; tugging his gown closed at the back to preserve what dignity he had remaining. He gingerly examined his nose with his fingers, to see if he had broken it. Again.

While it was bleeding, it wasn't broken. _One thing I don't need to worry about_, he thought.

"I tried to warn you, Severus." Poppy said, smiling and taking her wand out. "But as usual, you are too stubborn to listen to me. I'd say you're well on the road to recovery."

She levitated him to the bed, ignoring the baleful glare he gave her as he struggled to keep his backside covered with the thin gown. Minerva chuckled.

"Do you mind?" Severus hissed balefully at her. "Go to London if you want to see such."

"It will probably be more than a week before you can try to escape again." Poppy said, covering him up with the sheets as he sulked. "Severus, you just woke up from a coma. I'll need to run some tests to make sure you're alright, and then we'll need to do some physical therapy to get your legs back up to their normal strength."

"Yes, yes, I know." He hissed irritably.

"I mean it, Severus." Poppy lectured him. "You stay in your bed, or I'll body-bind you."

He glowered at the Medi-Witch, but said nothing else.

Minerva carefully kept silent, struggling to keep a straight face.

Once Poppy had situated Severus, Minerva cleared her throat.

"Poppy, how is…your other patient?" She asked cautiously. "You know, our 'guest.' "

Poppy looked surprised for a moment, but recovered quickly when Minerva winked at her, turning so Severus didn't see it.

"Oh…she's fine." Poppy said warily, frowning. "Um…not awake yet, but doing well enough."

"That's good." The Headmistress said, sitting down in the chair by Severus' bed. She picked up one of the books from the stack that sat on the bedside table.

"Hmm…Begley's Treatise on Elixirs of the Andes," She murmured, idly leafing through it. She paid no mind to Poppy mouthing 'What the hell are you doing?', or to Severus, whose face first registered shock, then quickly shifted to anger.

"What…are you doing with my book?" He hissed, his eyes widening in surprise as he realized that a good dozen of some of his most precious books were sitting on his bedside table, along with several issues of Potions Monthly and The Daily Prophet.

"What…who brought all of these books up here?!" He shouted, giving Poppy cause for alarm. He had turned quite red by this time, his fists clenched in rage.

"We've been reading to you." Minerva said calmly, closing the book and placing it carefully on the stack. "Poppy read in a Muggle medical journal that reading to comatose patients can be quite helpful-"

"Yes, yes, I know." Severus snapped disdainfully. "I read the article in the New England Journal of Medicine, two years ago. Rubbish. A tenuous theory built on a shaky hypothesis and supported by the most insubstantial research. Muggles will believe anything."

Poppy sighed audibly, as much for the fact that Severus seemed to be calming down as anything. Taking out her wand again, she ran it over his body, mainly over his head, to assess his condition. When she was satisfied, she put her wand away, crossing her arms.

"Severus, we read to you, talked to you, every day." She said, quite exasperated by now with him. "If it helped, good. Don't be so cross about it, your books were in good hands."

He glared at her, then Minerva.

"Well, I can read perfectly well on my own now." He hissed. "I don't need your help."

Poppy sighed and left the room, nodding goodbye to Minerva as she went.

A long moment passed, with Severus glaring steadily at the Headmistress.

"Don't you have something else to do?" He said acidly. "Headmistress duties of some sort?"

"We need to talk, Severus." Minerva said quietly.

"About what?"

"Do you want your position as Potions Professor back?"

Snape's jaw sagged, his eyes growing wide.

Over the next two hours, with Poppy's assistance, Minerva filled him in on what had happened while he was comatose.

The defeat of the Death Eaters and the death of the Dark Lord.

Those who were gone. She was surprised that he seemed rather shaken when she told him that Remus Lupin was dead; for a few moments, he actually wept.

How he had been cleared _in absentia_ of all criminal charges by the Wizengamot.

That the Ministry had unanimously voted to award him an Order of Merlin, First Class, for, "Heroism and Selfless Sacrifice that saved millions of innocent lives."

"That seems a bit exaggerated." He said shyly, profoundly embarrassed. "Millions? Rubbish."

"Severus," Minerva said, taking his hand, "Potentially, what you did saved countless lives. The Dark Lord would have slaughtered Muggles, anyone who dared oppose him had he won. You of all people know how bad it could have been, had Voldemort prevailed."

He looked uncomfortably at her holding his hand, and she released it with a sigh.

"Is…the other patient you asked Poppy about…is she a victim of the war also?" He asked softly.

"In a way, yes." Minerva replied, nodding her head. "She is."

ooOoo

"Ahem."

Ana froze where she was, nearly to the door of the Hospital wing and freedom, awkwardly clutching the hospital gown closed behind her with one hand in an attempt to preserve her modesty.

"And just where do you think you are headed, young lady?" Poppy said, walking up behind her to drape a bathrobe around her.

"I…I…" Ana stammered, panic setting in.

_He's awake_, she thought uneasily. _I heard him talking, clear as a bell. I have to get out of here; I have to get back to France. He'll be furious when he finds out that I'm here._

"I know what happened." Poppy said, taking her firmly by the arm to escort her back to her room. "You were just out for a stroll, and were just now on your way back to your bed. Problem is, I haven't examined you and cleared you to get out of bed, young lady. Severus is awake, isn't that marvelous? Did you want to go by and see him before I take you back to your room?"

Ana's face turned deathly pale.

"NO!" She blurted out. "I-I-I mean, I don't know if that's such a good idea…if he just woke up, I'm sure that he's very weak. He needs to rest."

"By all means, bring her in, Poppy." Minerva said, stepping out of Severus' room. "I'm sure Severus would like to personally thank the person who spent so many hours reading and talking to him."

Ana suddenly felt as if she were going to be physically sick, her stomach rolling with nausea.

"Poppy…please…I…I don't feel well…" She said urgently, her voice not much more than a whisper. "Can…can I go back to my room instead? Please?"

Minerva walked over to her, placing her hand on Ana's shoulder gently.

"Are you sure you don't want to see him, dear?" The Headmistress asked, her voice soft, her eyes warm.

"I…I'm afraid." She replied, visibly cringing. "Please don't…don't make me go see him…"

"Then, let's go back to your room, dear." Minerva sighed, taking her arm.

It was quite a sight, a young woman being helped down the hallway by two women who were more than twice her age.

ooOoo

Severus lay in the bed, staring up at the ceiling. With his excellent hearing, he'd heard every word spoken in the hallway just outside his door.

_Anastaysia Romanov. So that was who the mystery patient was._

_What the hell is she doing HERE?_ He thought, frowning.

After a while, Minerva walked back into his room, coming over to sit again in the chair next to his bed.

"Why is SHE here, Minerva?" Severus asked, glaring at the Headmistress.

"Who, Severus?"

"Don't play the dullard with me, Headmistress. Ana Romanov."

Minerva sighed heavily, crossing her arms across her chest.

"I needed a Potions Professor to finish out the term, Severus. Mine was indisposed."

"Really. I wasn't aware of that." He smirked.

"Severus, she's one of the brightest and youngest witches to earn the title of Potions Mistress-"

"Really? So you let her come here, seeking to take my job? Your back up plan, had I not awakened?"

"Oh, you stubborn fool!" Minerva snapped in exasperation. "I can see that you are recovering quickly! Professor Romanov already has a job, at Beauxbatons as an assistant professor! I had to seek her out, she never applied for the temporary position that I advertised in The Prophet. She was the only competent person that I could find that didn't want to take your job away from you!"

"Kirov would have been the best choice."

"Kirov is dead. Ramsey is still petrified. Xiao, Miller, Woodsworth, all missing since the end of the war, no sign of them." Minerva sighed. "Shall I go on? Shackleford, Higgins, Moriyama, they are all dead. Then, there's Elizabeth Moore. Alive, but she won't be making potions any time soon, not without hands. And-"

"Enough, already." He conceded, frowning. "You've made your point."

"The ministry appointed me Headmistress of this school, Severus, after…after you left." She said, rubbing her temples. "Complete with all of the headaches that go with the job."

Severus lay in the bed silently.

"Severus, I need to tell you something." She said, leaning forward, looking him hard in the eyes. "It was Ana who read to you, talked to you. Every day, day after day, for these past three months. At one point, she nearly lost her voice and I had to make her stop, so I read to you for five days."

"What rubbish." He sneered, glancing away as he crossed his arms. "I can't believe you buy into that Muggle claptrap. Sentimental rubbish."

"When the school year ended, she was up here most of the day, from just after breakfast until nearly midnight most nights. I suspect that she spent more than a few nights up here, just sitting with you.

"You awakened because she stopped." Minerva went on. "She…she fell ill a few days ago. The house elves found her unconscious and brought her to the Hospital wing."

"Nonsense." He said irritably. "If she stopped reading to me when she lost her voice, and all she had to do was stop reading to me for me to wake up, it should have happened then."

"I think that you woke up because there is a connection between you two. It was broken when she was unable to read to you the last few days."

"Rubbish."

"When she lost her voice, you didn't wake up, because at some level, you still felt her presence. While she couldn't talk, she was up and about, and she did come by to see you, even though she wasn't allowed to talk to you.

"Besides, she didn't lose her voice completely. I just told her not to read to you."

"I fail to see how any of this is related to my waking up." Severus sneered.

Minerva sighed.

"Well, obviously, you are much better and healing rapidly." She said coolly, rising to leave. "You're just as much an insufferable ass as you normally are."

With that, the Headmistress turned on her heel and left the room.

ooOoo

She met Poppy in the hallway, escorting an older wizard, a large toolbox floating along the hall behind him.

"Ah, Minerva!" Poppy exclaimed, "I have someone for you to meet! Headmistress Minerva McGonagall, may I present Sir Harold G. Petto. He's here to see Professor Romanov."

"I'm pleased to meet you, sir." Minerva smiled warmly. "I'm glad you are here; your reputation precedes you. I understand that you did the original work?"

"Yes, yes." Sir Petto, said warmly, his blue eyes twinkling. "One of my finest accomplishments, if I do say so myself. I've made improvement since then, of course, all of which I will add to this one."

"You do have it, yes?" He said to Poppy, a bit of anxiety in his voice.

"Yes," Poppy nodded, "It's in her room, on a table set up by the window sill. I figured that would give you good light to make the repairs, as well as make refitting it convenient when you're finished."

"Splendid, splendid." He smiled, "Well, let's go see my favorite patient, shall we?"

Minerva fell in alongside them as they made their way to Ana's room. She was propped up in bed with a book, reading, when the three of them came in. She smiled, until she saw Sir Petto. Dropping the book, she tugged the sheet up to her chin, trembling visibly.

"Ana, my dear," He said gently, "There is no reason to be afraid. I-"

"I-I-I broke it…" She stammered, bursting into tears. "I'm…I'm sorry…"

The old wizard crossed the room to gather her into his arms, shushing her like a child.

"Now, now…shhh." Sir Petto said, patting her gently on the back as she sobbed, burying her face in his old flannel robes. "There, there…sweetheart, it's alright now. Everything's going to be fine."

"I…I got your robes all dirty…" She sniffed, wiping at a long string of mucus she had left there.

"No worries, my dear." He chuckled, hugging her close. "You know these are my working robes, the ones I wear in the shop. They've seen far worse, far worse indeed. You know that, dear."

Slowly, she calmed down and relaxed, clinging to the old wizard's robes, her head nestled against his shoulder.

"I'm sorry." Ana whispered to him, her fingers worrying at a loose thread in his robes, "I…I didn't intend to submerge it. I guess I shorted something out…"

"Well, don't worry, darling." He smiled at her affectionately. "Let's take a look at your shoulder, and then we'll fix your arm. I made it; I can fix it, right?"

With Poppy's assistance, he rolled up the left sleeve of her hospital gown, exposing her shoulder. Pale skin marred by a metallic, rounded plate with a socket for her artificial arm. Picking up a Muggle multi-meter, he began testing the contacts in her shoulder.

ooOoo

Author's notes:

I expect that I may get some hate mail over this turn of the story, but that's the breaks. I wanted to write an OC who is very strong, but weak at the same time. We'll see where this goes in the next chapter, shall we?


	3. Chapter 6 to 10

~Chapter 6~

After Sir Petto had finished with his work on Ana's shoulder, Poppy handed her a vial of Dreamless Sleep potion, which she accepted reluctantly. Making a face at the tiny bottle, she glanced over at the old wizard as he hummed a tune under his breath, opening his tool box and selecting the tools he needed.

"Go ahead, take it. It's only a half dose," Poppy said, watching as she drank the contents, "I didn't want to give you too much, not with your accident. But then again, you shouldn't have much trouble sleeping, not with how exhausted you look."

Ana nodded, already feeling a bit sleepy anyway. She figured that she didn't have long until the Dreamless Sleep put her under for the night, even though the sun hadn't set yet. She turned toward the table at the window, watching Sir Petto tinker with her prosthetic arm.

"Hmm…" He mumbled, half to himself, as he examined the slender cables that closed the fingers of the prosthetic hand, "looks like you've broken two of the flexor cables here…and this looks like…porcelain dust?"

"I…slipped in my bathroom, I remember that…" Ana blushed, looking down at her right hand in her lap uncomfortably. "I might have tried to catch myself on the sink. It…it's kind of fuzzy."

"You did, dear." Minerva said, gently patting her on the arm. "Seems you broke a big hunk out of the rim of it, too."

"Oh, dear…" She replied, really embarrassed now. Her eyelids seemed to be getting heavier, and she was fighting to keep her eyes open.

"No matter, dear. A quick _Reparo_, and it's good as new. Not to worry."

"But I…hurt the castle…" Ana slurred, the Dreamless Sleep beginning to take effect. "Мне больно Хогвартс ... Мне так жаль ... Прости ... Я просто ... не могу держать глаза открытыми ... Директриса ..." Her words gradually faded to soft murmurs, her eyelids fluttering as she struggled to stay awake. Slowly, her breathing deepened, her body relaxing.

For a while, Minerva stood by the bed, watching her, then walked around to where Sir Petto was working.

"Sir Petto," She asked, "how long will it be until she might have her arm back? Is the damage very extensive?"

"No more than two weeks, Headmistress." He smiled, dabbing at his forehead with his hanky. "I think I may need to apparate back to my shop for a few parts, such as motors…they were shorted out by the water. Perhaps ten days, I should have it in perfect working order again."

"Well, if we can do anything here to help, let us know."

"Don't worry, Headmistress." Sir Petto smiled. "I'll take good care of her. I always have, you know."

ooOoo

When Ana woke the next day, Poppy told her that she would be allowed to walk around in the corridors of the Hospital wing, so long as she did not leave it. Putting on a pair of slippers and a terrycloth robe that one of the assistant Healers brought her, she cautiously ventured out into the hallway. She was acutely aware of the empty left sleeve of the robe hanging uselessly beside her as she walked down the hall. Stopping in the hallway, she carefully tucked the offending sleeve into the sash of her robe, an awkward process given that she had to do it one-handed. Giving Severus' room a wide berth, she walked around to the South side of the Hospital, into the waiting room for visitors that had a breathtaking view of the lake.

"Lovely view; isn't it." Severus Snape said softly from a wheelchair in a corner of the waiting room.

Ana jumped, giving a squeak of panic as she quickly turned her left side away from him, bumping into a chair and nearly knocking it over as she backed toward the door.

"Oh, please desist, Professor Romanov." He sighed in exasperation. "I'm not going to bite you."

"I…I don't…I'm sorry…"

"Now you are making no sense at all, Professor Romanov. I'm actually quite happy to see you."

"You are?" Ana asked, puzzled at such uncharacteristic behavior from Snape.

"Indeed. Minerva tells me that you spent a great deal of time…reading to me, trying to get me to wake up. I just wanted to say…thank you."

"I…all I did was…read to you…talk to you, sir." She said hesitantly, her voice unsteady. "I…well, I don't…um…Извините, я действительно должен идти."

Abruptly, Ana fled the room, leaving him sitting there in his wheelchair, a confused expression on his face.

She didn't stop until she reached her hospital room, slamming the door shut behind her. Crossing the room to her bed, she climbed in, pulling the sheets up over her head, trembling violently. As time passed, the shaking eased, until she felt calmer. Relaxing on the bed with a sigh, she stared up at the ceiling, lost in thought.

_He thanked me_; she mused, and then smiled to herself, a tiny, fragile smile. _Severus Snape actually thanked me. I should mark this day on my calendar._

_Doesn't mean that he wants me around, that's for sure._

The next day, after Poppy examined her, she was cleared to move back to her rooms. Relieved, Ana chose to floo directly there, just to be safe. She still felt that it was best that she avoid Severus, and until Sir Petto brought her arm back, she didn't want to chance an encounter with one of the other staff members in the halls.

ooOoo

"It's only two weeks until the other professors begin returning from summer holiday for conference and planning, Poppy. Will Severus be able to walk by then?"

"He's still very weak, Minerva." Poppy sighed. "It's not that his muscles are that atrophied due to the coma; they really aren't in bad shape at all. For some reason, the venom seems to have some residual effects on his nervous system. It's unpredictable. Every day, he gets a bit stronger, but he can't even stand up on his own yet, and some days we seem to actually lose progress."

Minerva sat quietly at her desk, considering what Poppy had said.

"This will be quite a problem if he's teaching Potions." Said the Headmistress. "If he can't move around the room, or stand up, it will be difficult for him."

"He could use a wheelchair." Poppy pointed out. "But then, he would wear his hands raw rolling it around in short order."

"True."

"What if we owled Sir Petto? Perhaps he could rig something up to move the wheelchair."

"Send him an owl, then." Minerva said, tapping a finger on her desk idly. "Perhaps he could come up with a solution. I'm sure Severus would be much happier with more freedom of movement."

"Have you found a professor to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"No…and we're running out of time. We lost so many in the war, and there have been very few applicants so far. None of them are very qualified."

"Why not Severus?" Poppy said, leaning forward in her chair. "You know how well qualified he is."

"You know why." Minerva sighed. "Oh yes, the Ministry cleared him of any charges, awarded him the Order of Merlin, praised him in public…yet people whisper hateful things behind his back. He made far too many enemies in the Ministry, Poppy. You know how Severus is, he doesn't kiss their backsides and he's far too honest for their comfort."

"A pity."

"Indeed." Nodded the Headmistress.

The two witches sat there together for a long time, just thinking about the situation, not saying a word. After a while, Poppy looked over at Minerva, pursing her lips in thought.

"She's going to leave us soon, as soon as he's able to teach again." Poppy said softly. "I don't know why, but Ana's afraid of him. The other morning, I put him in the waiting room while his bed was being changed. She happened to wander in there, came out like the devil himself was after her. Hid in her room the rest of the day."

Minerva sighed deeply, leaning back in her chair.

"I've had about enough of this nonsense." Said the Headmistress, getting up and moving toward the door of her office.

ooOoo

"I beg your pardon?" Severus said, one eyebrow raised warily.

"You heard me." The Headmistress said quietly. "I want to know if you would teach DADA this year, until we find a permanent professor for the class."

"So…you are offering me the DADA position."

"No, I did not say that I was offering you the position. I asked if you would teach it until we found a suitable professor."

"Then I refuse." He said coldly, rolling his chair away from her. Minerva followed him as he wheeled himself to his room in the Hospital wing.

"Severus, you are being completely unreasonable!" She snapped, closing the door behind them. "You know the situation. I can't just offer you the position; the Board of Regents would never approve it!"

"Tsk, tsk. Where's their sense of civic duty?" He hissed bitterly. "Hire the handicapped and all that rubbish."

He wheeled his chair back toward the door, only to find her standing there, blocking his way out. Glaring at her sullenly, he sighed in frustration, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Listen to me," Minerva said, "I am trying to get you the position that you have wanted for years. You are the best qualified person by far to teach this subject."

"And just how do you propose to do that?" He said, crossing his arms and glaring up at her.

"By using my administrative privilege as Headmistress to reassign you to teach the DADA course instead of Potions." She said. "The Board of Regents can't do anything as long as it's a reassignment. They don't have to approve it, and they can't override it. As long as I can prove that I can't find a suitable applicant to hire, they have to go along with it. You just teach, try to stay out of trouble, and eventually I might be able to convince the Board to approve of you being the DADA Professor."

"So…who will teach Potions?" He asked softly, barely concealing his interest.

_Got you_, Minerva thought triumphantly.

"Oh, I'll find someone, don't you worry." She smirked. "You just work on getting well. You now have two weeks until the students arrive, and you need to get ready to teach DADA."

"Just don't hire Markus Slyzanany." Severus said sourly. "The man is a moron. You'd be better off with Neville Longbottom."

ooOoo

"It…it's just like new." Ana said softly, flexing the fingers on her artificial arm experimentally.

"Nearly like new." Sir Petto smiled, patting her gently on her back. "I replaced all of the cables, tinkered with it a bit to adjust the action, and balanced it a bit better. Should feel almost like your right arm now."

She smiled at the old wizard warmly. He'd made her first arm, after she'd recovered from her injuries enough to have one fitted.

"Oh! I almost forgot, silly me." He exclaimed. "I put something special in. Here, try running your arm's fingers over this bit of sandpaper."

When Ana did, she was astonished. As she touched her man-made fingers to the rough surface, her face lit up, reflecting first amazement, then joy.

"I…I can feel it! The grains of sand on it!" She looked up at him, her grey eyes wide with wonder. "How…?"

"Sensors, they call them. Something they came up with working on the Muggle version of prosthetics." Sir Petto explained, enthusiasm bubbling in his voice. "I used magic to make the connections, but they work wonderfully. Soon they expect to have artificial skin, even."

"Skin…" she said softly, gazing down on her shiny metal artificial hand. "I could look…normal again."

"Oh, now, Ana," He huffed. "Don't you start up with that again. You're a beautiful young witch who had an unfortunate event happen to you. It didn't change who you are."

"But-"

"Hush, young lady." He said, holding his finger up to her lips. "The Headmistress and Poppy have told me all I need to know about what is going on around here. I've put that together with my own observations, and I want to tell you something. Just listen, and then think about it. I don't need you to reply.

She nodded mutely.

"When I first saw you in the hospital, you were broken. The arm was nothing; I've made hundreds of them. Be glad that you don't have to wear a Muggle prosthesis, dreadfully crude things. But your spirit was broken. And not by the war, not by the Death Eaters, but by you."

"But I never-" She protested.

"Hush, now." Sir Petto said sharply, putting his finger to her lips. "Now, young lady, you know that I know you better than just about anyone else, right?"

She silently nodded, closing her mouth obediently and biting her lip.

"You broke yourself, just as surely as a blacksmith breaks a defective sword on his anvil." He said, leaning forward, his blue eyes sharp and piercing. "We got you fitted for your arm, got you rehabilitated, and you seemed fine for a long time after that. So…what changed? What made you start doubting yourself again?"

Ana began to open her mouth to speak, but he held up his finger to her lips again, hushing her.

"Now, I told you, I don't want, nor do I need you to answer my questions. You need to think about it a while, consider it carefully. You're a bright witch, one of the most promising witches I've ever had the pleasure to be acquainted with in my lifetime. You know how much I care about you, and that I have your best interests at heart. Now, in the days ahead, you'll have to make some decisions about your future. I'd like you to do one thing for me."

"What…is that?" She said hesitantly.

"If you are offered a job here, a permanent one," he said, "I recommend that you accept it."

"I…" She looked down, unsure of what to say.

"Ana, look at me." Sir Petto said kindly, taking her chin and gently raising her eyes to his own. "I think that the Headmistress is going to offer you a job soon, a full professorship. I've known Minerva McGonagall a long time. Take it. Have courage."

"But Professor Snape-"

"Oh, don't worry about him, dear. His bark is far worse than his bite, I can assure you."

ooOoo

"I would like to offer you the position of Potions Professor." Minerva said, leaning back in her chair. "I'm very pleased with your work. Not just anyone could have picked up another professor's class with only three weeks left to go and managed as well as you did. Frankly, I looked over the final grades for your classes, and several students actually improved somewhat in the final weeks."

Ana sat stiffly in her chair, nervously picking at an imagined flaw in the new glove that covered her artificial hand.

"What about Professor Snape?" She said uneasily, trying to keep her face neutral. "Won't he be angry to be replaced?"

"Oh, I think he won't mind." The Headmistress smiled. "You see, he will be doing something that he's wanted to do for years-teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. We'll finally have someone who knows something about the subject teaching it."

"Oh…" Ana said, at a loss. Part of her urged her to run away, to pack her things and head back to France immediately. "I don't think this…"

_Have courage. His bark is worse than his bite._ Echoed in her mind, the last thing that Sir Petto had said to her before returning to Milan.

"I beg your pardon?" Minerva said, a puzzled frown on her face as she peered over the top of her reading glasses at Ana.

Realizing her _faux pas_, Ana quickly recovered, putting her most diplomatic smile on.

"I meant to say, Headmistress, I accept." Her smile faltered a bit when something occurred to her.

"Um, Headmistress…" She said hesitantly, "where will Professor Snape be living if I take the Potions position? I'm fairly certain that he won't want to leave the dungeons. Those quarters have been his for years."

"Severus will stay in his quarters that are adjacent to the Potions Storeroom and his private potions lab." Minerva said briskly. "New quarters will be set up for you, connected to the Potions classroom and storeroom."

"WHAT?" Ana said, springing up from her seat. "That's never going to work, Minerva! I…um, that will put us practically living together! It is completely inappropriate! The students-"

"Calm down, Ana. He will have no access to your living quarters, and you will have no access to his. I'm sure that you two can work out some kind of schedule for him to access the storeroom when he needs to get ingredients. We'll be building you a private potions lab as well. It will be lovely, you'll see. Since your lab will be on an outside wall of the castle, we should be able to put some windows in…"

Ana sat down weakly, unable to say anything more. She had been neatly trapped.

ooOoo

Ana deliberately arrived at the Great Hall with only minutes to spare before the Welcoming Feast was to begin, determined to minimize her time spent around Severus. He was already seated at one end of the staff table, deeply involved in conversation with Professor Flitwick, the topic evidently being his new wheelchair. She glanced up and down the length of the staff table, her heart sinking when she saw that the only seat available for her was on the right of Severus.

_Черт возьми в ад_, she thought. _Why is my luck always so bad?_

Gritting her teeth, she made her way through the crowd of students milling around as they found their seats. It wasn't difficult, as only the first-years were unacquainted with her, and the older students quickly shooed them out of her way, giving her uneasy glances. He didn't even look up at her until she got to the table.

"Professor Romanov," Snape said in his silky voice, "How good of you to join us for the Welcoming Feast. I must say, I thought you would be back at Beauxbatons by now."

"Good evening, Professor Snape." She replied curtly, sitting down in the sole remaining chair, pointedly scooting it a bit farther away from Snape, who smirked at her obvious discomfort. Ana gritted her teeth and fumed silently, fighting down the temptation to hex him.

Minerva walked up to the podium to address the students, casting a charm to amplify her voice and project it throughout the Great Hall.

"Welcome, everyone. We begin a new year, and hopefully a new era here at Hogwarts, full of hope and free of the Dark Lord. There is much damage, but we are rebuilding, and we will go on, for this is Hogwarts, and we will endure.

"With the exception of the new students, we know our teachers, with the exception of these changes.

"Professor Severus Snape will be temporarily taking over the duties of our former Defense Against the Dark Arts professor, the late Remus Lupin."

Snape allowed himself the slightest of smirks, even though Minerva had cautioned him to appear as if he were unwilling to take the position publicly.

_Thus another Head of Hogwarts begins to manipulate me, once again, _He sighed in disgust. _No matter. It is the story of my life._

_I wonder who she has hired to blow up cauldrons and endanger students in my Potions classroom for the coming school year…_

As the Headmistress droned on, naming one fallen professor after another, and their replacement, Severus picked up his cup to take a sip of tea.

"Professor Anastasiya Romanov will be taking over as the new instructor for Basic and Advanced Potions…"

Severus choked on his tea, nearly dropping the cup and saucer. Professor Flitwick pounded him on the back as he coughed violently, struggling to regain his composure.

Ana sat perfectly still, her eyes on the crowd of students before her, though under her calm façade she was trembling with fear.

ooOoo

The howlers began to arrive almost immediately, with nearly thirty reaching Minerva's office before the tower clock struck eleven.

"Headmistress McGonagall! How on earth could you allow Severus Snape to teach again, much less an important subject like Defense Against the Dark Arts! I am making arrangements to remove my son Brian-"

"_Inciendio._" The Headmistress said, pointing her wand at the offending Howler. It burst into flames with a yelp, dissipating in a cloud of ashes.

"What about the others, Headmistress?" Mr. Filch asked, holding up a burlap bag full of struggling, cursing Howlers.

"Burn them, Mr. Filch." She said coolly. "We should see a few more, and then they will drop off. I don't think there are that many people who despise Severus."

ooOoo

Ana rubbed her temples, and then sighed deeply. The headache that had started after lunch had only gotten worse as the day had worn on. She _Accio'd_ a headache potion from the storeroom, the bottle of silvery blue liquid leaping to her hand. She'd spent most of the day inventorying the stocks of ingredients, making a list on parchment of the items she'd need to order to prepare for the term.

_I must admit, this arm is quite good._ She thought, looking down at the vial she held in her gloved artificial hand. Uncapping the vial and downing the potion, she turned back to her list. _At least, I'm finding it a lot easier to use it for magic. The old arm, I might have broken the vial when I caught it._

The door to the hallway swung open as she was writing a particularly detailed part of her list, painstakingly checking it against her planned potions she was to teach the first month. _Whoever it is can wait a moment_, she thought irritably, biting her lip in concentration as her quill scratched out the last few words.

"May I help you?" She said wearily, setting her quill down and looking up, startled to hear the locks on the classroom door snap home in their mortises.

Severus sat before her desk in his wheelchair, hands folded in his lap.

"We need to talk, Professor Romanov."

ooOoo

Author's notes: So many kind reviews! Thank you, everyone.

"Мне больно Хогвартс ... Мне так жаль ... Прости ... Я просто ... не могу держать глаза открытыми ... Директриса ..." = "I hurt Hogwarts...I'm so sorry...I'm sorry...I just...cannot keep my eyes open...Headmistress..."

Having been around people who are under the influence of drugs similar to Dreamless Sleep potion, they do get a bit loopy.

"Извините, я действительно должен идти." = "Excuse me, I really must go now."

"Черт возьми в ад.." = "Damn it all to hell."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Chapter 7~

Ana sat completely still at her desk in the Potions classroom, her eyes wide, scarcely daring to breathe. A million things seemed to run through her mind, all at once.

"How did you lose your arm?" Snape asked, his voice neutral.

_Not exactly what I expected him to want to talk about_, she thought, completely thrown off balance.

"In 1996, I…was teaching at Beauxbatons." She said uncomfortably, unable to meet his eyes. "In October, there was a Death Eater raid on the school itself. They used Fiendfyre on…some of the buildings, including the student dormitories. We fought them off successfully, though we suffered heavy casualties."

"I know."

"Were you there?" She said, almost making it an accusation, anger beginning to stir in her. He'd been a Death Eater, but it was only just now that she had even considered that he might have taken part in the raid in France.

"I heard about it after it happened. I assure you, Professor, that my duties for Headmaster Dumbledore and," He paused, making a face, as if the words were bitter, "…the Dark Lord kept me close to them. "I don't think I left the country more than a few times, and hardly ever traveled to France. Any part of it."

"Anyway," He sighed, "you still have yet to answer my original question."

"Ah…yes." She said nervously. "I…was burned. My arm…they had to…amputate it."

"Burned by Fiendfyre?" Severus said, genuine shock on his face. "I'm surprised that you're still alive. How on earth did you survive?"

"Sheer luck, I suppose. We…we'd already driven off the Death Eaters when…when it happened."

She stopped there, unwilling to go on, not wanting to relieve the events that haunted her dreams most nights.

_I couldn't help them_, she thought, a shudder running through her. _The screams that still haunt my dreams most nights, those poor children._

Her reverie was interrupted by Snape clearing his throat.

"Are you alright, Professor?" He asked, arching an eyebrow.

"I suppose we need to talk about when you can access the storeroom," she said curtly, ignoring his question. She didn't feel like discussing it any further. "I see no problem with you using it any time of day or night, so long as you do not interrupt my classes."

"That's quite generous of you." He replied dryly. "I assure you, I will not be bothering you. I have my own classes to teach. At the same time, I will still be handling the brewing of…certain potions for the Hospital wing, as the senior Potions Master here."

Ana sat absolutely still in her chair, outwardly showing none of the anger that seethed within her after his last statement. _Of all the nerve!_ She thought angrily, gritting her teeth. _He's just as…no even more infuriating than I remember!_

ooOoo

The days crept by slowly, agonizingly so for Ana. Every day, it seemed that she could not avoid seeing Severus at least three times a day, often having to talk to him. She did her best to make sure other people were around, but with living literally just across the potions classroom from him, it was nearly impossible to avoid him.

On nearly an equal basis, they shared the task of brewing potions for the Hospital Wing, with Poppy dividing her requests between them. It became a contest of sorts between them, with Ana striving to outdo Severus on quality and effectiveness. While she struggled at times to do as well, he gradually began to admire her spirit, as well her work.

Her ability in the classroom eclipsed his. While at first he felt somewhat jealous of how the students seemed to more readily respond to her, he had to admit that she ran a well-disciplined classroom, with few accidents and with most of the students improving their work. She seemed tireless, filling what little time she had between classes with research in her private lab, stolidly ignoring him for the most part.

By the time two weeks of this had passed, Ana was nearly a nervous wreck, struggling to hide her seething emotions as best she could. As bad as the days were, the nights were the worst part; now he haunted even her dreams, causing her to awaken more often than not with her legs entangled in her sheets, his name on her lips, clutching a pillow tightly to herself.

Finally, she resorted to taking Dreamless Sleep potion before bed, in order to gain some relief. At the end of a week, she skipped her nightly dose to give her system a rest and avoid addiction; the vivid dreams returned with a vengeance. That morning, she actually dozed off at the breakfast table when Professor Flitwick was talking to her, drawing a sharp reprimand from the Headmistress. Embarrassed at the public scolding, she glanced at Severus for just a moment; he was carefully avoiding her eyes, his expression neutral as he sat at the end of the table in his wheelchair.

This order of affairs continued for another week, with Ana finding no relief.

ooOoo

Ana was reading in her bedroom, hoping it might help her sleep, when she ran across something in an article in Potions Monthly on interactions between belladonna and foxglove that didn't quite ring true. After thinking on it for a bit, and not being able to put her finger on what the problem was, she sighed irritably, got out of her bed, and donned bathrobe and slippers. As she walked down the short hallway that led to the potions classroom, she gathered her hair into a loose ponytail, securing it with a clip.

_I think I'll summon a house elf_, she thought. _Perhaps some warm milk might help. Or maybe some medi-chocolate, or some hot cocoa._

_Bennett's Lexicon of Plant and Fungi_… _I'm pretty sure I left it on my desk this afternoon, it should have the information I need._

As she reached her desk, she heard an odd sound, one she couldn't identify right away. Puzzled, she stood quietly and listened, her brow furrowed in concentration.

After a moment, she realized that what she was hearing was someone calling for help. _Severus_, she thought in alarm, moving to the door that connected his rooms with the Potions classroom. Pulling her wand from her sleeve, she unwarded and unlocked the door to his quarters, then opened it.

"Severus?" She called into the sitting room. A fire still burned in the fireplace, a bottle of firewhiskey and a glass still sat on the table beside the armchair. She wrinkled her nose disapprovingly as she eyed the bottle of firewhiskey.

"In here." She heard him call, his voice weak, full of pain and resignation. She walked quickly toward the hall, glancing into a room with an open door. His bedroom, covers turned down, but he wasn't there. His wheelchair sat empty by the only remaining door, which was probably...

_The bathroom_, she sighed. _The gods have seen fit to torment me further. He's naked, no doubt, the pervert._

She cautiously opened the door.

"Severus? Are you alright?"

"No." He replied weakly, his voice tight and strained.

She cautiously peeked around the door. He lay on the floor, half wedged between the tub and the sink, where he had fallen getting out of the tub. He had a towel haphazardly wrapped around his waist, thought it wasn't entirely effective.

"Um, where might I find your robe?" She asked, certain that her face was red as a beet.

_Don't be so silly, you've already seen everything._ She chided herself, but that only served to redden her cheeks further.

"Back of the door, over there." He whispered, his teeth chattering slightly as he shivered.

She opened the door, and then closed it partway to retrieve his robe from the hook, stepping carefully to avoid slipping on the wet floor herself. Kneeling next to him, she carefully slipped the robe around him, covering him up.

"Do you think you can stand, if I help you?" She asked, tying his sash. "Your wheelchair is only a few steps away. I can use a light levitation spell if that will make it easier."

He reached out and grasped her left hand. Ana froze in shock. Because of the newly installed sensors, she could feel the warmth of his hand on her comparatively cool artificial hand, and it was a most unsettling sensation. She'd taken her glove off for the evening, and now he held the bare metal of her hand, turning it this way and that, examining it closely.

She was trembling, fighting the urge to flee the bathroom, her cheeks aflame with embarrassment and panic. No one had ever touched her bare prosthesis; it was all she could do not to snatch it away from him.

_The sensors that Sir Petto added definitely need some adjusting_, she thought, squirming uncomfortably. _They are far too sensitive for me._

_Are they?_ The little voice again, mocking her.

"I…I'm sorry." Severus said, releasing her prosthetic hand, which she immediately snatched back, holding it to her chest with her right hand as if she had to protect it.

"I was just curious." He said gently. "I've never seen any of Sir Petto's work, though I've read a great deal about it. I frightened you, and I apologize for that. I should have asked permission first."

_Have courage._ Sir Petto's words, again, coming back to her as she bit her lip nervously.

Ana found herself, as if in a dream, extending her left hand out to Severus. For a moment, he looked surprised, and then gently took it in his.

"You startled me." She said shyly, unable to look at him for long. "Sir Petto…he did some work on it recently. It's a prototype, of sorts…the Muggles have developed touch-sensitive sensors, and he added them."

"Really?" He said, genuine wonder in his voice. "How remarkable."

He ran his slender fingers over her artificial hand.

To Ana, the effect was electric, hundreds of sensors overloading her nervous system with sensory input. She nearly yanked her hand away from him, sitting up with a sharp gasp, but forced herself to be still.

"I…I'm not sure the sensors are tuned perfectly." She blushed. "I'm a bit sensitive to the inputs, I guess."

He smiled, and that was nearly as bad as when he touched her artificial hand. Completely unsettling.

_He's touching me_, she thought, her mind seemingly in a fog. _It's been so long since he touched me…_

Ana felt a bit warm. She could hear him saying something, but it wasn't quite registering. She forced herself to pay attention.

"-get up, if you could help me a bit." He said.

"Oh. Right." She said, feeling a bit fuzzy inside. She helped him up, sliding his left arm around her shoulders so she could support him effectively.

_This is a pretty good fit here, me under his arm_, she thought as she helped him to the door, and his wheelchair._ Very comfortable, almost like-_

_What am I thinking? _She chastised herself. Struggling to put such thoughts out of her head, she took a deep breath to calm herself.

"What are you doing?" He asked irritably when she started gently running her fingers through his hair, examining his head.

"Checking for injuries." She snapped back, glad that he was acting more like himself. She wasn't sure if she could handle him being nice to her. It was too…nice. It made her think of things that were completely inappropriate and rather unprofessional. Finding a small gash over his right eye, she frowned, bending down over him to examine it closely.

She pulled out her wand, murmuring "_Lumos_." A bright light appeared at the tip of her wand and despite his protests; she used it to examine his pupils for any signs of neurological injury, quickly checking their reaction and size.

"How do you feel?" She asked, extinguishing the light on her wand. When she looked back at him, he just looked back at her, an odd expression on his face.

_Too close_, she thought, _far too close…_

Feeling his hand come up behind her head and pull her down to him, his lips meeting hers. She didn't resist, closing her eyes and giving in to the kiss, her wand dropping from her hand to clatter to the floor as she put her hands on his broad shoulders. It was tentative, shy, and oh, so pleasant, making the fog even worse in her mind.

_Déjà vu…Oh, Merlin…he's just as good as I remember.._. She shivered, feeling as if her body were melting, collapsing down to settle in his lap, her arms snaking around his neck as she deepened the kiss hungrily.

_Oh gods…I've wanted this for so long…_

After some time-she had no idea how long-he broke off the kiss, turning his head away with a soft sigh.

"Um…I should floo Poppy," she said nervously, looking away, blushing. Then she realized…

"Oh, Merlin! Your legs, Severus!" She jumped up from his lap. "Did I hurt you? Are you alright?"

"No, I'm…fine." He replied.

"We'd better get you to your bed and floo Poppy. She needs to take a look at that bump on your head and-"

"I said, I'm fine, Ana. It's nearly midnight; Poppy went to bed two hours ago. Let her sleep."

"But-"

"Ana, I am quite familiar with the symptoms of a concussion." Severus smirked. "I've had a few of them, and I'm fairly sure that I don't have one now."

He rolled the wheelchair into his bedroom, after _Accioing_ a dry towel to finish drying off there. Ana followed behind him, wrapping her terrycloth robe around herself just a bit tighter and retying the sash.

_I kissed Snape_, she thought numbly, touching her lips with her fingers. _Again._

When he reached the bed, he took the towel and began drying his hair. She looked around, suddenly uncomfortable with the intimacy of the situation.

_I'm in his bedroom…oh, gods. Does he expect…_

"Professor Romanov, if you don't mind, please use your training in Occlumency." He sighed. "You're fairly well shouting your thoughts at me. It's a bit distracting."

"Oh." She said, blushing harder now.

"I assure you, I am not feeling nearly strong enough for anything beyond the bit of snogging we just enjoyed partaking in. Not yet, at least."

He _Accio'd_ a hairbrush from his dresser and began to calmly brush his hair.

_Oh, Merlin!_ Ana thought in alarm, her hands flying to her face as she perched nervously on his bed.

When he had finished drying and brushing his hair, he sent the brush back to the dresser, then looked at her expectantly.

"If you don't mind, I will need your…assistance in dressing for bed. My nightshirt is right there beside you on the bed."

"I'm not sure this is proper-"

"Professor Romanov," he said patiently, "I assure you, I have no intentions of taking advantage of this situation. But I do need some help getting up out of this infernal contraption, and with putting on my nightclothes."

"Besides," He smirked, "You've seen everything I have to offer."

_What cheek!_ Ana thought angrily, hopping down from the bed.

She helped him up from the chair, and then removed his robe. He had removed the towel somehow, so she found herself blushing again, resolving to look no lower than the middle of his chest as she retrieved his nightshirt to slip it over his head. As he leaned on her for support, he turned to the bed, using a nonverbal spell to turn down the covers neatly, even plumping up the pillows.

Ana felt a twinge of envy; she'd always wished that she could be half as good as he was at nonverbal magic. She helped him into the bed, pulling the covers up to his chest. He caught her hand, and she gasped in shock, looking at him warily.

"Stay here with me." He said quietly, his dark eyes on hers.

"Severus, I-"

"It's Saturday morning. As long as we're up by seven, no one will be the wiser."

"I…"

"Confound it, woman!" He snapped, and then sighed deeply. "You were concerned that I might have a concussion. Why don't you just spend the night here, in my bed, right where you can keep an eye on me? I promise to behave myself. While some parts may be willing, my body is too weak for anything other than sleep right now."

He released her hand. Ana looked at him for a long moment, then slowly walked around to the other side of the bed and removed her robe.

_I can't believe I allowed him to talk me into this_, she thought, climbing into the bed. _I said I'd never do this again._

She tugged the hem of her nightgown down so it covered her legs better, and checked the buttons on the front to make sure they were buttoned all the way up.

"_Nox_," she whispered, dousing the lights and setting her wand on the bedside table before lying down, making sure there was plenty of room between them.

For a long time, all she could hear was his steady breathing, the normal night sounds of the castle around them. The steady ticking of the grandfather clock in his study down the short hallway. She shifted slightly, moving to get more comfortable. She was lying on her side, he on his back. With a sigh, she closed her eyes, trying to calm her mind so she could sleep.

_Porto-Pollo beach, in Corsica_, she thought. _That's where it happened, back in 1996, before the Second Wizarding War began._

_Oh, Merlin…_

ooOoo

May 30, 1996, Porto-Pollo, France~

"Well, if it isn't the lovely Miss Romanov."

She sat up quickly, grabbing her wand and pointing it at the man who stood there, the sun at his back. Ana couldn't tell who it was right off; she'd taken off her sunglasses to work on her tan, lying on her tummy in a secluded part of the beach. Squinting, she began to make out more of the man's features. Tall, lean, all whipcord muscle covered with faint scars, longish black hair, hawk nose, black eyes…Snape. She groaned inwardly, biting her lip.

_Дерьмо! _She thought with no small amount of disgust. _Of all the people I could run into while on vacation…_

"What do you want, Professor Snape?" She asked icily, lowering her wand. "And by the way, it's Professor Romanov now. I just finished my graduate work, earning my doctorate in Potions, as well as my P.M. title. I think you could be more respectful. Why are you here, anyway?"

"I came here on holiday," He smirked, crossing his arms. "A brief respite before having to face…my students this fall. Right now, I'm just admiring some…rather lovely scenery."

Ana stared at him for a moment, somewhat puzzled, and then felt a breeze caress her torso as she sat there. Slowly, with a sinking feeling, she realized that she had taken her top loose to tan her back, and it now dangled uselessly between her breasts. Which were in plain view, her pinkish nipples becoming erect in the cool breeze coming inland from the Mediterranean Sea. Blushing furiously, she struggled to put her top on, cursing under her breath in Russian, acutely aware of him smirking at her as he turned away to allow her to cover herself.

_Дерьмо_, she thought irritably, as she reached behind her to tie the strings. _Of all things to happen to her, why this, why now?_

"What do you want?" She repeated, her embarrassment turning to anger, lending heat to her words. "I came down here because I wanted some privacy."

"Please, Professor." Snape said, spreading out his hands in a gesture of supplication. He was wearing a loose, thin linen shirt and black swim trunks that were making it difficult for Ana to keep her eyes above his waist level.

_He's really in good shape for his age_, she thought, realizing that she'd never seen him dressed in anything other than his trademark black robes.Her eyes followed the thin trail of hair from his chest downward, down the flat stomach with the hints of abs, to the waistband of his trunks…

"Professor Romanov?"

"What?" She said, snapping out of her trance.

"I asked you, 'would you like to have lunch with me?" He smirked, fully aware of her problem. "The sun is getting rather hot, and I think that neither of us wishes to have a sunburn."

She never did go back to the beach that day, spending the rest of it with Severus. The whole experience seemed surreal to her; lunch at a very good Italian restaurant, then shopping in town, ice cream, then dinner. She had to admit, it had been fun.

They'd gone back to his room, ordered champagne, and proceeded to get rather tipsy while watching some movie. By midnight, she was kissing him, his strong arms wrapped around her as she sighed in pleasure.

Ana awakened the next morning in his hotel room, with him comfortably spooned up behind her, wrapped around her like a warm blanket. It felt like the most natural thing in her life. With a sigh, she leaned back into his warmth, closing her eyes.

_This can't be real_, she thought sadly, caressing his forearm with her finger. _I'll wake, and he'll be nasty, snarky, sarcastic Snape again. But just for now…this is nice._

As the rising sun gradually warmed the room, she sighed sleepily, running her hand down his forearm, pausing as her fingers felt something odd. With a frown, she sat up in the bed, rubbing her eyes, and then looked at his arm.

_A scar? _Ana thought, frowning as she drew the covers off of his arm. _A scar might feel lumpy, but it wouldn't have a shape to it, like a brand…_

Slowly, her eyes widened in horror, her tummy rolling with a sudden wave of nausea as she let go of the covers.

Her heart pounding in terror, she carefully backed away from him, freezing in place as he rolled over on his back, away from her, taking his left arm away from her. She picked up her wand from the bedside table, watching him closely.

_I have to make sure._ She thought grimly, grabbing her clothes up, stealthily padding around to the other side of the bed to examine his arm more closely, her wand pointed directly at him with an unsteady hand.

_It has to be my eyes playing tricks on me. That's what it is, I'm sure._

Placing her clothes back on the floor, she drew the covers off of his arm again.

Her heart sunk as she saw the Dark Mark, branded into his left forearm.

_Mama. Papa. The Razins._ Their faces haunted her, urging her to use the wand that trembled in her hand.

_You bastard. You despicable, disgusting bastard. You __monster__._

_You're one of t__hem__. _

_You may not have been there, you may not have killed them, but you are one of them. You pledged your allegiance to the Dark Lord._

_You used me._

Ana unsteadily raised the wand, the unforgivable forming in her mind, ready to burst from her lips.

"ummm…no." Severus sobbed quietly in his sleep, his face contorting in agony. "No, we mustn't…he's innocent…Albus…I'll do anything…anything…"

Ana was scarcely breathing, the wand trembling in her hand.

_What was that all about?_ She thought, puzzled._ Who is he talking about? What are they going to do?_

He was sobbing softly, in his sleep, the mumbling unrecognizable now.

Slowly, Ana lowered the wand, standing naked by the bed, her clothing forgotten.

_Why can't I kill him?_

_You know why, _whispered an inner voice.

She dressed quietly, then after a pause, retrieved a sheet of parchment and a quill.

_I know you are a Death Eater, but chose to spare your life-this time. _

_If we meet again, I will kill you. _

_Ana._

She read what she had written, then walked to the bedside table, slipping the note under his wand. With shaky hands, she dressed, warily keeping an eye on him as he slept fitfully.

Walking to the door to leave, she faltered, her hand just touching the doorknob. Slowly, she leaned forward, resting her forehead on the cool wood of the door.

_I can't do this, either_, she sighed finally.

Walking back to the bedside table, she slid the parchment from under Severus' wand, crumpling it up and stuffing it into her pocket of her blue jeans. Her mouth worked, reflecting the conflicting emotions warring within her.

Hesitating only for a moment longer, she turned and walked to the door, opening it and going out into the hallway, gently closing the door behind her. Turning her back to the door, she weakly leaned against it, tears trickling down her cheeks.

"Goodbye, Severus." She whispered, and then quickly walked away.

ooOoo

"Ana."

She opened her eyes to find him looking at her in the dark bedroom, his arm stretched out toward her.

"Come here," He sighed, "so we might both get some sleep."

Hesitating only for a moment, she moved over next to him, automatically putting her head on his shoulder, her hand coming up to rest on his chest, her slim leg around his. Once there, she gave a quiet sigh of contentment as she felt his arm come around her to pull her closer.

"I don't know if we should…" She whispered faintly, so softly he almost didn't hear it.

"Nonsense. We're adults; we should be able to work this out."

"Severus?"

"Yes?"

"What is…this? What do we call it?" She asked hesitantly, feeling very uncertain.

"We…" He sighed, gathering his thoughts, and then said, "Ana, it's one in the morning. We don't have to call it anything yet. Just take what comes to us, figure it out along the way. Is that good enough for now?"

"Yes," She said, feeling a bit better. Snuggling into him a bit more, she closed her eyes. "I'll take this for now. Good night, Severus."

"Good night, Ana."

ooOoo

Author's notes-

"Дерьмо!" = Shit!

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 8~

Something was tickling his nose. He opened his eyes to find a generous amount of auburn hair in his face, most of it in the area of his nose and mouth. Carefully, he brushed it away from his mouth and nose, looking over at her in the early morning light.

Ana was curled around him closely, her head pillowed on his left shoulder, her soft exhalations tickling the side of his neck. She sighed in her sleep, pulling herself closer to him with her artificial arm, her leg still locked around his.

_I'm impressed_, he thought. _She never moved after she lay down with me, not one bit. She must have been tired._

Then he remembered what Minerva had told him, how Ana had spent all that time reading to him, talking to him while he was in a coma.

_No wonder she didn't move much last night. She's completely exhausted._

He sighed heavily. _I badly need to go to the loo._

Slowly, ever so slowly, Severus worked at extricating himself from the slender woman who had wrapped herself around him like a vine. Being as weak as he was made it rather difficult. He nearly had his leg free of hers when her eyes fluttered open, silvery gray, unfocused at first, then sharpening as she realized where she was.

"Am I dreaming still?" She whispered nervously.

"No," he chuckled. "But all good things must end, and I need to use the loo."

"Oh…Well, I do, too."

"Ladies first." He sighed.

With a tiny smirk, she slid out of bed, grabbing her robe. Sliding on her slippers, she flew to the loo.

With a bit of effort, he got his robe on, and slid out of the bed. Holding onto the footboard, he managed to get into his wheelchair, where he rested for a moment. Though he was feeling stronger with every day that passed, progress was painfully slow.

She came back into the bedroom, her left hand tucked into her bathrobe pocket, shivering.

"Do you need any help, or can you manage?" She asked shyly, a bit of color in her cheeks.

"I've been managing just fine, thank you." He replied, wheeling his chair toward the doorway. "Last night was…I just slipped getting out of the tub. I-"

"You shouldn't be alone." She frowned. "Last night, it was only by chance that I happened to hear you calling out. What if you were to fall again and no one was around to hear?"

"I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself. I haven't regained my strength yet, that's all."

"I'm staying here with you until you do." She snapped, her cheeks coloring now with anger. "Especially at night. You shouldn't be alone."

"I am not an invalid." Severus hissed back. "One accident does not mean I cannot care for myself."

"If I had not heard you, you would have been lying there on the floor all night!"

"This is pointless," He growled, wheeling his chair toward the loo. "I'm going to go piss."

"You're just as stubborn as you have ever been." She threw after him as he rolled down the hallway.

When he returned to the bedroom, she wasn't there.

Slowly, he dressed for the day. By the time he finished with the last button on his robes, he was exhausted, even having used his wand and magic to fasten the buttons.

_Thirty minutes until I need to leave for the Great Hall, for breakfast._ He mused idly, rolling his wheelchair to his sitting room. _Perhaps I can read a bit._

The door connecting his quarters to the Potions classroom banged open, and Ana briskly walked in, fully dressed for the day in her scarlet and black teaching robes, carrying a black suitcase. With a chilly look in his direction, she lifted her head and walked into his bedroom, slamming the door behind her.

_Oh, my._ He thought, turning to where he'd left off reading the night before, removing the bookmark-the one with the rose petals-from between the pages. _Professor Romanov is displeased with me again, it seems. I may have to get used to this._

ooOoo

_He's so infuriating._ She fumed, staring into the fire that burned low in his bedroom fireplace. _I'm staying here, and that's final. Stubborn, bull-headed, irritating..._

As she unpacked her bag, putting her clothes into the wardrobe that she had transfigured from a chair, the flames in the fireplace shifted to green.

"Severus, are you there? I need you to –"Minerva said, and then paused, her eyes widening when she recognized Ana.

Ana turned to the fireplace, feeling herself go from being furious with Severus to absolutely mortified in nothing flat, the clothing in her hands forgotten for the moment as she stared at the face of the Headmistress, feeling her cheeks burning as she blushed.

"Ana?" Minerva said, her green-tinged face blinking in surprise. "Um, is Severus there with you?"

"I…um, Headmistress, Severus is in the sitting room reading, I…" Her voice trailed off, feeling vaguely ill. "I could transfer your floo call there…"

"No need, Ana," Minerva said, trying to keep from smirking. "Just tell Severus that Poppy and I need to talk to him after breakfast. I'll leave you to…whatever it is you were doing when I interrupted you."

The flames shifted from green back to their normal yellows and oranges as the face of the Headmistress vanished.

Ana stood there a moment, rather confused. _'…whatever I was doing…'_ Echoed in her head. Slowly, she looked down at her hands.

She was holding green silk, trimmed in black…a bra and matching panties. Her favorites.

_Oh, Merlin…___She groaned inwardly, closing her eyes tightly. _I'll never live to hear the end of this._

ooOoo

Breakfast in the Great Hall was somewhat chaotic, as a food fight had broken out between the Gryffindors and, of all houses, the Hufflepuffs. Ana arrived late, having to stop at the loo to be sick, her nerves on a raw edge at the thought of facing the Headmistress. She reached her seat just after Hagrid and the Headmistress, along with Filch, had broken up the altercation. Platters of bacon, eggs, toast, fresh fruit, yogurt, along with pitchers of pumpkin juice and carafes of coffee covered the staff table. She poured herself some pumpkin juice and got a piece of toast, not feeling like anything too heavy. Her nerves couldn't handle it this morning.

She was intensely aware of Severus, sitting at the end of the staff table sipping his coffee, involved in a deep conversation with Poppy. He looked up as she reached the table, raising an eyebrow in inquiry. She blushed, slamming up her occlumency shields. There was an empty seat next to him, but she passed it by..

_I'm still angry with you. _She deliberately sent to him, taking a small amount of satisfaction when he flinched slightly. _Caught you off guard, didn't I? Serves you right, you jerk._

Minerva and Hagrid returned to the staff table, the Headmistress still grumbling about the food fight. The burly groundskeeper went over to the empty seat by Severus and sat down; there was a plate already there that he had abandoned with the eggs and sausages had started flying.

"Ana, come sit down." Minerva said with a smirk, taking her by the arm.

"Oh…Headmistress, I was-"She blurted, and then realized that the only seat left was the one that Minerva was guiding her toward, the one next to hers.

_Дерьмо_, she thought, _why me?_

"Well, we're a month into the fall term," Said the Headmistress, taking a sip of her tea. "How are your classes going? Any problems?"

"I…um, no, no problems at all," Ana said warily. "Mostly with new students adjusting to the school here, but it's all sorted out."

"And your neighbor?" Minerva said, raising an eyebrow. "Any problems with Severus?"

"N-no…" She said, paling visibly.

The Headmistress leaned forward, casting _Silenceo_ on them, and smiled kindly.

"Ana, if you're worried about what I may have seen this morning, or what I think of it, don't worry. Officially in my capacity as Headmistress, I saw nothing."

"I…I see. Um, and, unofficially?"

"Whatever it is, I approve wholeheartedly." Minerva said gently. "I've known Severus since he was a boy, and you since you…well, your mother, Katerina, was a student of mine. I was there for your christening, when you were only a month old."

"I…I didn't know that you knew my parents…" Ana said, tears welling up in her eyes. She quickly brushed them away, breathing in deeply to calm herself.

"Oh, yes, dear. I didn't know your father, Gregori, that well, but Katerina attended school here at Hogwarts. I taught her in my Transfiguration class."

"So…" Minerva said, taking another sip of tea, "What has you so upset this morning? You looked a bit green when you came in and saw the food."

"Severus…" Ana blushed, twisting her robes hem in her fingers. "He's just so…so-"

"Irritating?"

"Yes. That, and stubborn. He was taking a bath last night and he slipped and fell-"Ana stopped, afraid she'd said too much.

"Go on." Minerva said calmly, watching Ana like a hawk. "Relax. I'm not about to say anything to him; after all, you are telling me this in confidence."

Ana took a breath to calm herself.

"He slipped getting out of the tub. I just happened to be up reading, if I'd been asleep I might not have heard him call out for help…" She paused, unsure whether she should go on.

"Continue."

"Well, I went to his rooms, and found him on the floor next to the bathtub…I helped him up, checked him to make sure he hadn't hurt himself, then…"

Ana looked at the Headmistress.

_Please don't make me go on_, she thought, blushing deeply.

"So, you spent the night…" Minerva prodded gently, "just to make sure he was alright, yes?"

Ana nodded her head, unwilling to say anything else.

"Look at me." Minerva said, taking her hand gently.

Unwillingly, she did, raising her gray eyes to look at the Headmistress.

"My dear child, you have done nothing wrong. You and Severus are both of age, and if you find happiness together, I will be very happy for you."

"But I…we didn't-"

"Shush." Minerva said, smiling. "All I ask is that you be discreet. What goes on in your rooms, or Severus', is none of my business, or that of anyone else."

Ana nodded mutely.

"One word of advice, dear." Minerva added, patting her on the arm. "Be honest with him, be forgiving, be patient. He needs that."

ooOoo

She was sitting at her desk in the Potions classroom, grading essays from first years-so horrible! Ana set her quill down and rubbed her temples, trying to ease the headache that was already well established. With a sigh, she _Accio'd_ a vial of headache relief potion and yet another bottle of red ink. She'd already used two bottles today; some of the parchments had more red ink on them than black now.

_Should I be angry with him?_ She thought, drinking the potion, then closing her eyes and leaning back in her chair.

_Not really, I suppose. He's stubborn and proud, doesn't want to be seen as weak. He's never had anyone he could rely on, no one to stand up for him. He's had to do it all alone._

_Just like me. Being angry with him for wanting to be self-sufficient is a bit hypocritical of me._

_He has scars, too…all over._

_Just like me…_

_He doesn't know about mine, _she thought grimly.

She graded a few more essays, and then threw her quill down in disgust, capping her inkwell.

_I'm not being fair with my grading_, she thought, taking her wand and _vanishing_ most of the red ink on the stack of parchments. _I'm allowing my own problems, my anger to influence it._

_I need to go do something, go for a walk perhaps._

She wandered out of the dungeons, walking down the hallway with no particular destination in mind. Eventually, she found herself on the seventh floor of the castle, walking past an odd tapestry. When she stopped to examine it closer, she was astonished that it showed a wizard, surrounded by trolls that were wearing pink tutus.

_These English and their odd customs…_she thought, shaking her head in disbelief.

Mumbling under her breath in Russian, she aimlessly paced up and down the long hallway, by chance passing by a blank wall several times. Suddenly, there was a grinding, grating sound as stone moved upon stone.

Ana paused, turning to look in the direction of the sound.

A large double door had appeared in the wall, silently swinging inward to reveal a large room.

Curious, she walked in, closing the doors behind her, wand at the ready.

In the center of the room was were several training dummies; to one side was a rack that held several swords. Walking to the rack, she put her wand away and picked up a saber.

_Perfectly balanced_, she thought with a thin smile as she admired the lethal weapon. Taking a few careful swings to limber up her arm, she advanced on the closest training dummy.

ooOoo

Severus looked annoyed when she showed up late for dinner, scowling at her when she walked in. At least, he looked angry until she sat down next to him; then he just looked somewhat puzzled, then there was no expression at all. Several stray hairs had escaped from her French braid, her cheeks were flushed, and she was breathing a bit rapidly, having run from the room to the Great Hall.

_Well, he can just be angry, then_, Ana thought with a bit of satisfaction. _I had a very pleasant afternoon._

Then she noticed more than one of the staff looking at her appearance, and whispering to each other. Minerva arched an eyebrow, frowning in quiet disapproval. Severus wasn't looking at her at all, his mouth set in a tight line as he cut his roast beef in stony silence.

Suddenly it hit her.

_Oh, Merlin..._she thought, horrified. _Everyone, including Severus, probably thinks I've been off somewhere snogging someone. Я такой идиот ..._

_What should I do?_

The house elves delivered a plate of steaming roast beef, mashed potatoes and vegetables. She was so hungry she dived right in, clearing half her plate in minutes.

"Must have been quite a busy afternoon, Professor." Snape remarked coldly, passing her a napkin. "You have bits of straw in your hair, and now, some potatoes on your chin."

"Oh, thank you, Severus." She said graciously, accepting the napkin and dabbing at her chin.

He sneered and turned back to his meal.

"Severus, I found the most delightful thing!" Ana said, in her cheeriest voice, knowing full well how it would irritate him. "A room to practice swordsmanship in! Training dummies, a full rack of the best quality weapons, everything."

"Sounds like you found the Room of Requirement." He said, pushing his half-full plate away.

"Is that what it is called? It's wonderful."

"Indeed. It provides whatever it believes the user needs." He sighed.

"That's wonderful." She said, smiling brightly at him. _I'll be damned if I'm going to allow him to pout on me any longer._

"That's why I was late to dinner," she explained, taking a sip of pumpkin juice. "I got to practicing and lost track of time. It was wonderful."

"You said that once already." He said, one corner of his mouth twitching slightly.

_How adorable_, she thought. _It's almost like he's trying to keep from smiling._

"Will you forgive me?" She whispered, putting her hand on his knee. "I'll forgive you."

He looked at her for a moment, and then nodded his head slightly.

When she turned back to her food, she smirked. Apparently from the conversation buzzing around the staff table, they now had something else to gossip about.

ooOoo

Severus was lying in the bed, reading, when she came in the bedroom. Fresh out of a glorious hot bath, her cheeks were rosy, her hair still a bit damp.

Ana sat down at the vanity that she'd transfigured earlier that evening from an old wooden box, and began to brush her hair, softly murmuring a drying charm as she did.

"It must be a tedious chore, taking care of that much hair." He said, turning the page. She turned to face him.

"I…I started growing it out after I gave you that book mark." She said, hesitantly at first, but gaining courage as she spoke. "I'm not sure why. I guess I thought I looked plain with short hair, that I was…уродско…ugly."

"But you aren't ugly. You…you are beautiful."

Ana said nothing, turning back to the mirror to brush her hair.

_Beautiful._ She thought, frowning to herself, gathering her hair together to put it up for the night in a loose ponytail.

_He's just saying that._

_He doesn't know._

_Should I show him? Would he turn me away?_

_He says I'm beautiful. Should I show him how wrong he is?_

_Would he still think so, after he sees?_

Her hand came up to her neck, trembling as her fingers touched the buttons of her nightgown, a sensible flannel one that was buttoned up to her neck.

_You're such a coward_, she chided herself.

"Severus, are you going to read all night?" She said, putting her hairbrush down and walking over to the bed. "It's almost eleven."

"No, darling." He sighed, putting his bookmark at his place and setting the book on his bedside table. She smiled, getting into the bed.

"_Nox_," he said with a wave of his hand, extinguishing the lights. He lay down on his back, holding his left arm out flat on the bed in invitation. Ana snuggled up to him, pillowing her head on his arm with a sigh.

"Ana?"

"Yes, Severus?"

"I'm glad you aren't angry with me any longer."

"Have I ever been able to be angry with you very long, witch?"

She shook her head, and then laid it on his shoulder, closing her eyes with a contented sigh.

For a long while, she listened to him breathing, her left hand lightly on his chest.

"Were you jealous this evening at dinner?" She asked softly.

"When you showed up late?"

"Yes. I was irritated."

"You thought I was snogging someone else on the sly, didn't you?"

"Well, you looked like you'd been doing something that took a lot of work-"

Ana playfully slapped him on the chest, eliciting a grunt of pain.

"Oops." She said, chagrined. "Are you okay?"

"Yes," He said, wincing. "I suppose I'm not healed up completely just yet."

"Well, next time perhaps I should use my right hand. I forgot that I have to be a bit more careful with things with my prosthesis."

"Do tell." He sighed. "I heard what happened to your sink in your old quarters."

"Oh…that." She blushed, thankful he couldn't see it in the darkness of their bedroom.

She lay next to him a while, just thinking for a moment.

"Can I ask you something personal?" She said hesitantly.

"Could I stop you?" He sighed. "Go ahead. If I don't want to answer, I'll say so."

"Will you tell me how you got your scars?" She asked, bracing for his refusal.

"Most of them were at the hands of the Dark Lord, or his…minions." He said softly, stroking her back with his left hand. "A few were from my childhood, others from various…accidents, either with potions or foolish ventures on my part."

"Alright. That's all I need to know right now."

"That's it?" He chuckled, surprised. "That's all the questions that you have? I thought you would want to relight the lamps, strip me, and have me explain each mark on my body."

She shook her head, fidgeting with a button on his nightshirt, being careful not to accidentally tear it off.

_I really need to have Sir Petto adjust this prosthesis_, she thought. _I'm not fighting Death Eaters these days._

"I must admit that stripping you sounds rather tempting." She said, sitting up to give him a light kiss. "But I don't believe it's necessary tonight, as we should get some sleep instead. Good night, Severus."

"Good night, Ana…sleep well."

"I hope you sleep well, too."

She lay there a long time, listening to his breathing deepen gradually, until he was sound asleep. She was wide awake, thinking.

_He knows about my arm, and he hasn't rejected me_, she thought as she lay there next to Severus in the dark.

_But what is this? Are we a couple? Friends? Shag buddies?_

_He hasn't touched me, save to give me hugs and gentle kisses. We haven't gone any farther than that._

_I want more than this._

_I want more._

_I __need__ more._

_But…I'm afraid._

"Ana, it's almost one in the morning," Severus mumbled, half asleep. "Go to sleep, darling."

For a moment, her breath caught in her throat. Then she found herself being hugged to him, a gentle, sweet hug, and then his arm relaxed as he drifted back off to sleep. She closed her eyes, snuggling up to his warm body.

_I have no idea what to call this yet…but I do like it_, she sighed, allowing herself to relax, slowly falling to sleep herself.

ooOoo

Author's notes-

"Дерьмо" = Shit

Я такой идиот = I'm such an idiot

уродско = ugly

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 9~

He woke up, rubbing his eyes, his mind still foggy with sleep. Something had awakened him, though it was far too early for his alarm clock to have gone off. Reaching over to the nightstand, he picked it up and squinted at the face. It was just past three o' clock. Setting it back where it was, he looked over at Ana.

She lay on her tummy, her face turned away from him, still asleep. A generous portion of her long auburn hair had escaped her loose braid, spreading across the bed. She'd thrown off the covers, save for what was twisted around her legs, and he didn't see her pillow anywhere.

_Yet another restless night for her_, he sighed to himself, listening intently.

_I __know__ I heard something_. _If it's that Peeves again, I'll hex him into oblivion._

Then he heard it again. Cocking his head, he leaned over toward Ana slightly. She shifted position slightly, still deeply asleep.

There it was again; the faintest of whimpers. She was dreaming. Or, more accurately, perhaps a nightmare. He sighed.

_This won't do_, he thought, gently putting his hand on her shoulder to wake her up.

Ana sat up with a gasp that verged on being a cry of terror, and next thing he knew, he was lying on his back, stunned, his cheek stinging from a backhanded slap that made his ears ring. She screamed ferociously, leaping astride him, magic flashing wild and bluish-white in her hand. Severus twisted out of the way just barely in time. As it was, he was nearly blinded by the flash, the _crack_ of the spell echoing loudly in the bedroom. Singed feathers from his pillow, and an acrid haze of smoke floated gently in the air. He rolled back, grabbing hold of her right hand, forcing it away from him.

"Ana! Wake up! It's me, Severus!" He shouted, casting a _Protego_ spell nonverbally on himself, just in case she got her hands free. "Ana! Просыпайся !"

Opening her eyes she paused, her chest heaving, her body trembling as the magic dissipated from her hand, trickling through her fingers like water. She looked down at Severus, at the smoking hole in the pillow-clear through the mattress, in fact-and burst into tears. Slumping against him, she slid her arms around his neck and wept, great shuddering sobs that that seemed torn from her very soul. Cautiously, he put his arms around her, stroking her back, whispering comfort to her as she clung to him tightly.

_Well, that was…interesting_, _in a rather scary way, _he thought, listening to her cry.

After a long while, the heartrending sobs had diminished to sniffles and hiccups. Quietly, he held her, slowly stroking her back and hair.

"Feeling better now?" He asked softly; when she raised her head a bit to look at him.

Ana quickly looked away, her eyes shining with fresh tears. She turned her head, laying it on his chest, and shuddered.

"I-I could have k-killed you…" she whispered hoarsely, sniffling. "I nearly-"

"Well, you didn't. I still have good reflexes."

"I'm sorry-"

"Shush." He said, kissing her on the forehead, hugging her to him. "You were dreaming, and I startled you. I'm the one who should apologize."

"But I overreacted-"

"You were asleep, Ana. I, of all people, should know it's a very bad idea to startle a veteran of the war." Severus replied gently. Retrieving his wand, he did a quick _Reparo_ on the bed and the pillow. "See? No harm done. _Accio_ pillow."

Her pillow flew to his outstretched hand from wherever it had ended up on the floor.

She was still trembling a bit, stretched full length on him. He dropped the pillow on her side of the bed and stroked her hair, placing a gentle kiss on the top of her head.

"Must have been quite a dream." He said quietly, once she had calmed down a bit more. She shuddered.

"I…dreamed about you." She said softly, still trembling, her voice shaky. "You…"

Abruptly, she put her face in his chest, clinging to him tightly.

"What? What did you dream?" He prodded gently, rubbing her back. Like a frightened child, she shook her head, her face still buried in his chest.

_Perhaps I should just let this go for now_, he sighed inwardly, doing his best to console her.

Then she rose up, looking at him in the dark, her eyes slivery in the bit of moonlight that made it in through the window. Her expression was unreadable, her eyes locked on his face as she moved closer to him.

Then she kissed him. At first, it was gentle and sweet, her lips soft on his. He held her, returning the kiss, and as he did, she became more demanding, kissing him harder. Little mewls and whimpers escaped between passionate kisses, as she devoured his mouth with hers, grinding herself against him.

"Ana, are you alright?" He asked when they had to come up for air. She put a finger to his lips.

"Hush." She whispered, kissing his neck urgently, sliding her hand down into his loose silk pajama pants. "No more talking."

ooOoo

Only three weeks after that fateful night, on the 3rd of October, Ana moved back into her own quarters. The next day, she set a new record for points taken in a single day, issued thirty detentions, and generally made life a living hell for her students. She had stopped speaking to Severus completely, to the other staff; she was polite, but cold and distant. The students were utterly terrified of her.

_He doesn't need my help any more_, she thought bitterly as she picked at her lunch, shooting him a scathing look. He was sipping his coffee while he listened to Hagrid natter on about the size of his pumpkins this fall, pretending to be interested. He didn't even look in her direction. He was stronger now, finally able to get around with a cane. She resisted the urge to throw something at him or hex him.

The argument, like many tend to be, was silly; he's asked her again about the dreams, and she'd refused to discuss them. When he'd pressed her, concerned, she'd lost her temper. In a huff, she'd slept on the couch that night. Or more accurately, spent most of a miserable night on the couch in the sitting room before she woke up, her nightgown soaked in sweat, her heart hammering fit to burst out of her chest. She'd crept into the darkness of his bedroom, trembling like a frightened child, and crawled into his bed. He had curled an arm around her, holding her close, saying nothing. Gently, he stroked her back until she finally surrendered herself to sleep, exhausted.

The next morning, he'd ruined it. He'd asked again what she'd dreamed about that upset her so. She snapped, throwing a heavy crystal decanter of firewhiskey at him, narrowly missing. The decanter shattered against the wall, a flying bit of crystal gashing his cheek.

"You should be able to care for yourself now." She said coldly, "I'm moving back into my quarters. Thanks for the shags, they were…acceptable, I suppose. Just barely."

She had wanted to stay, to rage at him, to insult him, to vent her frustration and anger. It was almost primal, her urge to hurt him. Except all he did was take his wand out and clean up the mess, doing a murmured _reparo_ on the crystal decanter, and _vanishing_ the firewhiskey. His face had remained a neutral mask, his eyes unreadable in the brief moments that he looked at her. Ana clenched her fists so tightly that her fingernails drew blood from her real hand, and she felt something give a bit in her prosthetic hand. It was all she could do not to draw her wand and hex him.

Instead, she'd turned and walked out of his quarters to her own, Ivan hooting disapprovingly from his perch at her as she crossed the Potions classroom. With trembling hands, she'd _Accio'd_ a water glass and the bottle of vodka from the icebox, pouring it half full.

_I'm being childish_, she thought in despair. _I'm sure he despises me now. But I just can't talk to him about it. _

_I can't talk about it. I won't talk about it._

She took a large swallow of the liquor, shutting her eyes as it burned its way down her throat. With a negligent wave of her wand, she refilled her glass as she sat down in an armchair, curling her feet up underneath herself.

She had ended up deathly ill for most of that day and the next, and Minerva was furious. Finding someone to cover Potions on such short notice was difficult. In the end, the Headmistress had to cancel DADA classes for the day so Severus could teach Ana's classes.

"What on earth is the matter with that girl?" Minerva had asked Severus after lunch two days later, eying the cut on his cheek suspiciously.

"I have…no idea." He'd said, his expression blank, carefully not looking at Ana, who was sitting at the far end of the staff table.

The Headmistress scowled at him, but he didn't budge. Finally, Minerva gave up, rising from her seat to head to the end of the table.

Ana sighed heavily, pushing her half-full plate away and rubbing her temples, shutting her eyes tightly.

_I need to get some Headache Relief potion_, she thought. _These headaches are starting to border on being migraines. I can't recall my headaches ever being this bad, ever._

_It must be all the stress I'm under._

_I really should talk to him. But I just can't._

A shadow fell across her plate.

"Professor Romanov." The Headmistress said coldly, her eyes hard as flint. "My office, young lady. NOW."

ooOoo

Ana sullenly sat on the chair across from the Headmistress' desk, arms crossed, staring fixedly into the fire.

"Sulk all you want." Minerva said crisply. "If you're not going to stop behaving like a child and make up with him, then you're going to tell me what it is that has you two at each other's throats."

"I'd rather not talk about it, Headmistress."

"Really?" Minerva scoffed. "I suppose your way of handling this is so much better. Pouting like some sixth year that's had her boyfriend stolen, terrorizing your students, drinking, that's so much more effective, isn't it?"

"Headmistress, this is a personal matter-"

"Professor Romanov, it ceases to be a personal matter when it is affecting this school, students, and faculty!" Minerva thundered, eyes flashing. "You are an employee of this school, and you answer to me. Now I want answers, and I want them right now!"

Ana looked away, her chin trembling. She felt sick to her stomach.

"Ana?"

"It's entirely my fault, Headmistress." She said miserably. "I just don't know what to do…"

"You two are fighting, aren't you?"

"Well…I…" Ana looked at her hands in her lap. "Not so much him as me. I…sort of lost my temper. We aren't speaking right now."

"Well, you need to talk to him, now." Minerva snapped. "I won't have this nonsense! Fussing like first-years, you are."

"I…I can't talk to Severus. He wants to, he tries, but I always shut him out."

"Being stubborn, are you now?"

"Y-yes."

"Ana," Minerva sighed, "what is it that's so awful you can't even talk to him about it?"

"Part of it…it's the nightmares I have." She whispered, "They…I keep dreaming, about the war…about the attack."

"The dreams you told me a little bit about, is that it? The one about the children?"

_The children_, she thought, closing her eyes for a moment as a shiver ran down her spine. _The main reason I keep a bottle of vodka handy. No, that one hasn't bothered me for a while, not since I started teaching here at Hogwarts. Thank Merlin for small favors._

"No, not that one, thank goodness." Ana whispered. "I…it's a different version of another dream. They're worse, now that…we're together. He's in them now…in the dream, he rejects me…leaves me. I'm trying to reach him, but there is too much fire between us…he just looks at me, and then walks away. To just die."

Minerva sighed, rubbing her temples.

"Ana, I'm not a psychologist," she said, "but you are allowing a dream to ruin your life, and you're making everyone around you miserable. You're miserable, and I'm sure that Severus probably is, though who could tell? You need to fix this. Talk to him. Tell him what has you so upset."

"No." Ana said, blushing and shaking her head. "I can't. I just can't, Headmistress."

"Well, you need to do something. Talking to him would be a very good start, you know."

ooOoo

Numbly, Ana walked back down to the dungeons, to the Potions classroom. She had forty minutes left in her planning period that she had scheduled after lunch, but her impromptu meeting with the Headmistress had used up half of it. She was two days behind on grading essays, and she really needed to work on that. Walking into the classroom, Ivan hooted at her softly in greeting, flying gracefully from his perch to light on her desk, knocking over a stack of essays to be graded as he did.

"Ivan! Yходить! You'll mess up those parchments, silly! _Pertica!_" She sighed, heading directly to the desk to shoo her owl off. The owl hooted again, and then flew off to perch near the window. She didn't notice; her eyes were locked on the single red rose on her desk. A strip of parchment was tied to the stem. Untying it from the flower, she unrolled it to read it.

_Ana. _

_I apologize for being so insensitive. I won't ask you again about the dreams, though I will always listen if you wish to talk. _

_I care about you._

_SS._

Smiling, she transfigured a vial into a delicate crystal vase and filled it with water using her wand, and then slid the silver dagger out of its sheath to cut the rose's stem as a precise 45º angle. Gently placing the rose into the vase, she then cut a strip of parchment, wrote a note, and summoned Ivan back to her desk. As he flew out the door, she began to get ready for her next class, humming a tune softly as she did.

ooOoo

He scowled as the owl flew into his classroom. Miss Weasley and Miss Burnam were practicing against each other, and Weasley, distracted by the eagle owl flying by, failed to get her shield charm up in time. Now she was sitting on the floor crying and holding her leg, having been tagged with a stinger spell.

"Focus, Miss Weasley." He sneered, walking with his cane to his desk, where the owl waited for him. "When you are being attacked, you can't let a minute distraction disturb your defense."

The owl was Ivan, Ana's bird. The eagle owl held the leg that a scrap of parchment was tied to out, as if to say, 'hurry up.' He removed the note, and the owl flew off, not even waiting for a treat.

_That bird can be as rude as his mistress_, he mused.

"Continue, Miss Weasley, Miss Burnam. I expect better results this time, or you will both be writing lines for me."

Ginny Weasley swallowed nervously, preparing herself for her attacker.

Snape unrolled the note.

_S. _

_This mess is entirely my fault. Please forgive me. See you tonight? _

_Love, A._

When he looked up, Weasley was still standing, having disarmed Burnam.

"Excellent work, Miss Weasley." He said, his face neutral to conceal his relief. "Now, reverse it. Burnam defends, Weasley attacks. Begin."

ooOoo

As she left her classroom for the day, headed to dinner, she happened to meet Filch on the way.

"Mr. Flich!" Ana called out to him as she caught up, "how is your arthritis? Did the cream I gave you help?"

"Oh, yes, Professer." Filch grinned, hobbling along beside her. "I get around a lot better since I've been using it."

"Good."

"Professer, I'm glad ta see you in a better humor. You make up with Professer Snape?"

"Um, Mr. Filch, I-" She stammered, blushing furiously.

"Professer, I'm sorry to embarrass you." Filch said contritely. "It's just that…well, I see Professer Snape a lot, usually, at night patrollin' the halls. At least I did, until he woke up and you moved into his quarters. After that, never saw him at night. Kind of missed him, I did."

"Well, Mr. Filch, he…he wasn't really able to get out that well, with his wheelchair and all-"

"Aye! He wasn't, was he?" Filch chuckled. "But after you an' him stopped speakin' to each other, then I got to see him again. Told me he couldn't sleep, figgered some exercise would help, he did. But I know the truth of it, I do. I may be a squib, but I know Snape."

"I…I see." Ana said hesitantly. "And what is…the truth of it, Mr. Filch?"

"Ah! He misses you, Professer." Filch winked, and laughed.

When she arrived with Filch at the Great Hall for dinner, she was stopped by two of her first-years, who wanted to ask a quick question about their Potions assignment. As she answered their question, she looked up at the staff table. One seat left, right next to Severus, just as she had hoped.

When she reached the table, she went to sit down next to him, asking the house elf to bring her some water. As she unrolled her napkin, she found a slip of parchment rolled up in it.

_All is forgiven. I'll see you tonight. _

_SS._

She slid her hand under the table and gave him a gentle squeeze on his knee, smiling when he covered her hand with his own.

ooOoo

He was waiting in the sitting room, reading, a glass of firewhiskey on the table beside him as she came into his quarters.

"Welcome…home." Severus said as she closed the door, closing his book after marking his place. Ana stood there for a moment, nervously clutching her black suitcase.

"It's good to be back." She said awkwardly, unable to think of anything else. "I…I'll just put my bag in the bedroom."

"It's far too early to retire." He said, taking a sip of firewhiskey. "Would you like to go take a stroll, perhaps go to the Astronomy tower? It's not too chilly; at least it wasn't last night."

"I…I'd like that. Um…let me put my things up, get a shawl…then we can go."

"I'll be waiting for you."

She put her things back into the wardrobe-noting with some measure of satisfaction that he'd left things just as they were when she left. The bed was different, though. Out of curiosity, she flipped the covers back.

New sheets, in high thread count Egyptian cotton, and they were scarlet. She smiled wistfully.

_He's trying_, she sighed, running her fingers across the fine fabric. She tucked the sheet and the duvet back under her pillow.

_Now, if only fixing the damage I've done was this easy_, she sighed. _I really must learn to control my temper better._

"Ready?" She said as she walked back into the sitting room.

"Of course." Severus replied, getting up and retrieving his cane.

They walked to the Astronomy tower, careful to maintain a respectable distance between them, as it was still two hours till curfew. Students were wandering in nearly every hall, and after a few hushed whispers as they passed, Severus cast _Disillusionment_ on both of them.

"Really, Severus?" Ana laughed, "It's not like we have to sneak around. We are both professors here."

"I do have a reputation to keep up, you know." He smirked, "The greasy bat of the dungeons, and all that rot."

"Well, it's probably for the best." She smirked back, sliding her arm through his, hugging his elbow to her. "I was afraid that I'd have to wait until we got to the Astronomy tower, or to bed, before I could touch you."

She felt him tense up slightly, then relax.

"Severus," she said gently, all teasing gone from her voice, "I'm sorry I lost my temper this morning. I…I just couldn't talk about what was bothering me. I-"

"It's alright. I should have listened to you the first time you said you didn't want to discuss it."

"Well, we need to." Ana sighed. "I…need to talk to you about it. That morning, I was just being foolish and afraid…and I lost my temper…and kept on…"

"Ana, there's nothing shameful about being afraid, or of being foolish." He said gently. "Trust me; I have plenty of experience with both."

"I…I'm afraid you'll reject me." She said, her voice trembling. She'd slipped her arm out of his, and had stopped in the hallway. Severus stopped, turning to look at her.

_Say something_, she thought, her knees feeling weak. _Please!_

"I have a great deal of experience with…rejection, too." He finally said softly, leaning on his cane to walk over to her. "I have a great deal of experience with nearly everything negative in life, unfortunately."

He looked away, and then hesitantly, his eyes met hers.

"I'm not very experienced in some things, though." He swallowed nervously. "But, I can assure you that I would not reject you."

_I'm so scared_, she thought._ But I will see this through._

"Severus, the night you slipped and fell…"Ana said, her voice unsteady, barely a whisper. "Do you remember?"

"Yes. I'm glad you heard me."

"You saw…my artificial hand."

"Yes."

Steeling herself, she began to tug at the glove on her right hand. When she had it off, she took her wand, using it to unbutton the numerous buttons on her cuff. Rolling her sleeve up, she held out her arm to him, exposing the reddish, lumpy burn scars on her thin forearm and hand, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"This…is what I look like, under the fancy dresses, under the flannel nightgown that I won't take off at night…even when we make love…" She sobbed. "I…I'm ugly…"

"So?" He said quietly.

"I beg your pardon?" She said, dumbfounded, thinking she'd misheard.

"I'm covered with scars, in case you haven't noticed." Waving his wand at his left arm, the buttons undid themselves, first on his robes, then his shirt sleeve. Rolling it up, he held it up to her.

"I can't think of anything uglier than this," He said, showing her the faint, but still visible brand of the Dark Lord, "or what I did to get it."

"Severus…"

"Enough of this." He hissed, backing her into an alcove in the hallway behind a statue.

She was so flustered that she found herself neatly trapped between his arms as he lowered his mouth to hers in a gentle kiss.

"Now, we will talk more, I'm sure, Professor." He said when he let her up for air, "but I will hear no more of this talk that you are ugly…because you are the loveliest woman I've ever seen in my life. You earned your scars as a badge of honor, trying to save innocent lives. Unlike me."

"I don't-" Ana protested feebly.

"You thought I would reject you if I saw them? Or your prosthesis? Foolish witch."

He closed his eyes with a sigh.

"My scars are shameful." He whispered. "Many of them involved my participation in terrible deeds, those that weren't punishment from the Dark Lord. You're a heroine, someone who fought for good, who tried to save lives-"

"Hush! None of that, now." Ana said, putting a finger to his lips. "If I can't say that I'm ugly, then I will not allow you to say things like that yourself. You did all those things to save lives, terrible as they may have been."

She threw her arms around his neck, standing on tiptoe to do so.

"I love you." She whispered into his ear, trembling as she held him tightly. "I've…always loved you. I'm so sorry I left you that morning in Porto-Pollo, Severus."

"I..." he said, hesitating, and then swallowing nervously. "I…I'm not very good at this…but-"

"Shush." Ana said, hugging him tightly. "You don't have to say anything yet. Just…just promise me you'll stay with me. That's enough for now."

"I will." He sighed. "Until you don't want me around anymore."

"Well, Severus Snape," she smiled shyly, "you may have to put up with me for a while."

ooOoo

Author's notes-

Pertica = perch (Lat.)

Просыпайся ! = Wake up! (Russian)

Yходить! = Shoo! (Russian)

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 10~

Ana snapped awake, in a panic, sitting up in Severus' bed with the duvet clutched to her chest.

_I've overslept!_ She thought, throwing the covers back to discover that she was nude, and in Severus' bed. He was nowhere to be seen, but she grabbed the covers, pulling them up to her chin as she blushed.

"_Accio wand_." She said softly, feeling her wand jump into her hand from the nightstand. "_Accio—_"

The door to the hall opened, and Severus walked in, dressed in his usual white dress shirt and black pants, unruly black hair gathered up in a ponytail. He was fighting the urge to smirk at her as she blushed and hid behind the scarlet sheets and duvet, only her eyes and auburn hair showing. He crossed the room to the bed, pausing on the way to pick up her terrycloth bathrobe.

"No need to panic." He said, leaning over to kiss the top of her head gently, dropping the robe on the bed. "It's only half past six. You have thirty minutes before we need to leave for breakfast in the Great Hall."

"I-"

"I'll be in the sitting room marking essays." He said, stroking her cheek as he turned to leave. "When you are ready, we'll leave."

"Severus…last night, when we…" She blushed, swallowing nervously. "Did you…um, did you put out the lights first, or...?"

"Of course I did, you silly witch." He smiled gently, "Now stop fretting about it."

"I'm sorry I overslept-"

"I let you sleep in. You were quite exhausted when we went to sleep last night."

"Oh…"

"Did you sleep well?" He asked, coming to sit down on the bed beside her. "My guess is that you did…I woke up and you were wrapped around me just as you were when we went to sleep."

"I…yes, I slept very well."

"No bad dreams?"

"None that I can remember." She smiled faintly.

"Well…I'm going to go back to marking essays. I'll see you when you finish getting ready to go to breakfast."

Leaning over and giving her a gentle kiss, he left the room.

_Is this really Severus Snape, the snarky, greasy bat of the dungeons?_ She smirked, picking up her bathrobe and slipping into it. The smirk left her face as she considered it.

_He brought me my bathrobe_; she mused quietly as she found her slippers and put them on. _He knew I had nothing on, and he knows how touchy I am about him seeing me naked._

_He's trying so hard. He's bending over backwards to accommodate me and all of my silly insecurities._

_They are silly_, she sighed. _I know that he's felt my scars when he's touched me. How could he not?_

She shivered slightly, closing her eyes tightly.

_But that doesn't mean they don't bother me anymore._

Ana walked out into the sitting room, and he looked up, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. She said nothing, just walked over to him at his writing desk, slid her arms around him, and kissed him on the cheek. He raised his free hand to caress her arm briefly, an act that made her smirk a bit. He'd put his hand on her prosthetic arm to touch her; as there were no sensors in the body of the arm itself, she didn't feel a thing.

_Oh, well_, she smiled to herself. _It's the thought that counts, isn't it?_

"Thank you for being so considerate." She whispered, hugging him. He nodded.

She ran her bath, charming the water to stay at the temperature she preferred, humming softly to herself.

Soaking in the warm water, her prosthetic arm well clear of it, she considered the events since he'd awakened.

_He was so irritating, so annoying. I was so close to packing my bags and leaving several times, despite the damage it would do to my reputation as a Potions Mistress to quit in the middle of a term._

_The balance has shifted_, she thought._ I can't hate him any longer._

_I do love him_, she sighed. _It's difficult, but I love him. I can't leave now. I left him once, and that was a disaster for both of us._

Thirty minutes later, she was bathed and dressed, walking with Severus to the Great Hall. For the sake of propriety, they'd agreed not to hold hands in public-at least for now. Reluctantly, she surrendered his hand when they stepped into the hallway from the Potions classroom.

"You have a reputation to maintain, it seems," he'd smirked at her, earning a dirty look from Ana, "the terrifying Potions Mistress from Beauxbatons."

"You're a tough act to follow, Professor Snape." She replied, sticking her tongue out at him playfully.

ooOoo

Progress came slowly for them. Snape was surprised to find that her night terrors were worse than his own; the only explanation he could come up with was that he was better trained in occulmency than she was. Indeed, his very survival during the years of spying on the Dark Lord had often depended on it. He was thinking about this one night in the wee hours of the morning as he held her trembling body close to his.

Tonight had been especially bad for her, probably one of the worst nights she'd had since she'd blown the gaping hole in his bed with wandless magic.

_At least we didn't have a repeat performance of __that_, he thought grimly as he stroked her back, murmuring words of comfort to her as she sobbed into his chest. _Probably for the best that I never mentioned to her that I had to repair a hole in the castle floor, too. No need to upset her any more._

"I-I-I…I know you think I'm being a baby," She whispered, having transitioned into the sniffling and hiccups stage of her crying, as was so common. "You suffered so much more than I did-"

"No, not at all." Severus said, kissing her tenderly on her forehead. "I've cried a few times myself. We've both lived through some scary things in our lives; each of us has our own scars to bear."

"B-b-but you…you…" Ana broke down again, burying her face in his chest as she wept yet again, her body shuddering against him. Severus continued to hold her, to gently run his slender fingers over her back, crooning soft words to her as she cried.

"Shhh…it's alright, love." He murmured, "You're safe now. We're both safe."

Within thirty minutes, she had dropped back off to sleep, completely exhausted. He still held her, hoping to make sure that she would continue sleeping, his fingers idly tracing a comforting pattern on her back.

_I may have to go back to giving her a half dose of Dreamless Sleep potion again_, he mused as he lay there in the dark bedroom with Ana. _A quarter dose doesn't seem to be nearly enough for her to make it all the way through the night._

Slowly, gradually, her fingers relaxed their grip on his pajama top as she slipped deeper into sleep with a gentle sigh.

ooOoo

_Tonight_, Ana thought, determined to see it through. _I'm going to be brave; I'm going to do it._

It was Saturday night, three weeks after Halloween. Reaching over to the taps, she turned off the water. With a final glance at her reflection in the mirror, she walked from the bathroom to the sitting room, holding her bathrobe closed tightly at the neck.

Severus looked up from his book as she came in, raising a curious eyebrow.

"Is everything alright? Do you not have hot water?" He asked, putting his book mark in the book and closing it, setting it aside.

"I…I need your help with something." Ana said hesitantly, her right hand toying with the prosthetic fingers on her left.

"Of course." Severus said, standing up and walking over to her. "What do you need me to help you with?"

"I…need you to help me wash my hair." She lied; looking down at her slippers, then back up at his black eyes. "I…usually use a cleansing charm, but it just doesn't get it as clean as washing it…and with my arm…um, I'm really not supposed to get it wet…"

"After you, then." He said. Ana was just about certain she'd caught the slightest hint of a smirk on his face, but it might have just been her being nervous. She nodded, then turned and walked back to the bathroom, keenly aware of him right behind her. Warmth flooded through her lower abdomen, the terrycloth of the robe rubbing her erect nipples almost painfully.

_Oh, Merlin_, she thought, biting on her lower lip, _I'm not sure if we'll even make it to the bedroom this time. I might just have my way with him right here on the floor._

She turned to look at him. He was unbuttoning his white dress shirt, revealing the white undershirt beneath. Severus took off the shirt, and then peeled his undershirt off, revealing his lean, muscular body, crisscrossed with pale scars, his chest sparsely covered with black hair.

"Remember to breathe, dear." He smirked, breaking her reverie.

"Irritating git." She said, blushing. She hadn't really been holding her breath. Really she wasn't.

He removed his pants too, as well as his socks.

"I…" she whispered, her voice shaky. _I can't do this…_

He reached over and caressed her face, then pulled her gently to him, drawing her into a hug.

"It's alright, love." He whispered. "You don't have to do anything you don't feel ready for."

Ana clung to him tightly, her eyes shut, her mind awhirl with raw emotion. Slowly, ever so slowly, she found herself calming down, though she was still trembling.

_I can do this, _she told herself. _You're my rock, Severus._ _When you are with me, I can do anything._

Slowly, she freed herself, stepping back from him, smiling gently when he looked at her with a quizzical expression.

She undid the sash of her bathrobe, and holding her head high, she allowed the terrycloth to fall to the floor. Trembling, a single tear wandering down her cheek, she stood before him. In full light, completely nude before him.

_I trust you, Severus. I hope you know what this means to me._

He stood there, just looking at her, his mouth slightly open, his eyes wide. Looking at the thin, ropy scars that ran from her left ankle all the way to her shoulder, and from her right hand to her elbow. At the glaring contrast of the silvery metal of her prosthetic arm and its mounting plate with her pale skin.

_This is what I look like Severus_, she thought, trembling with anxiety. _If you turn away from me, I'll understand._

Slowly, as if in a dream, he found himself moving toward her, reaching out to touch the worst of her scars, near her left shoulder and the mounting plate for her prosthesis. Ana flinched slightly when his fingers made contact, sniffling as she tried not to weep, trembling before him. It was all she could do not to grab her robe, to flee.

_Please don't turn me away, Severus. I'd die without you…_

He slid his hand past her scarred shoulder, gently pulling her to him.

"You thought I would leave you…because of your scars…" He whispered, nuzzling her neck. "I…would never do such a thing. I would never abandon you. You…are my life."

The dam broke, and Ana sagged against him, relying on his strong arms to stay upright. Clinging to him, she wept, great shuddering sobs of relief.

Finally, when she had calmed down, she felt him move his hand behind her, casting a warming charm on the tub.

"_Accio_ hanky." He murmured, deftly catching the handkerchief as it flew to his hand.

"Here," he said shyly, offering it to her with one hand, not moving his other from his embrace of her.

She dabbed at her eyes, and then looked up at him.

"Are you ready for me to wash your hair, darling?" He asked gently.

"Yes." She whispered. "I'd like that."

"Then, let's get into the tub," Severus said, dropping his boxers. "My lady needs some attention, and I'd like to show her…just how much I really care for her."

ooOoo

Ana was grading essays, intent on getting them finished before the weekend, when the Headmistress walked into the Potions classroom. Her quill scratched away on the parchment, her tongue pressed firmly against her upper lip in complete concentration, she was completely unaware of Minerva's presence until the Headmistress cleared her throat.

"Oh!" Ana gasped, horrified. "I'm sorry, Headmistress, I didn't hear you come in…"

"Don't worry, dear." Minerva smiled, _accioing_ a chair and sitting down across the desk for her. "Getting some grading done, I see."

"Yes, I don't want to let myself get behind on it, not as we get close to the Christmas break."

"Have you decided what you are going to do for the break? You don't have to stay here, you know."

"I…I really hadn't considered doing anything…" Ana replied, "I…thought I'd just stay here at the school, catch up on a few personal projects I'm working on."

"Ah. And how is Severus?" Minerva asked, smirking slightly.

"Ah…good. Very good." She replied, wary now. "He's getting around very well without the cane, and-"

"I can see that myself. I'm talking about you and Severus. How is that little 'project' faring?"

"I…Headmistress, I don't…"

"Ana, enough of being bashful." Minerva said gently. "As I told you, nobody here minds if you have a relationship with him. I did ask you to be discreet, but you two have given me no cause to be concerned. So, out with it. How are things going?"

Ana sighed deeply.

"It's going…very well, Headmistress." She said, blushing. "He…he's wonderful."

"You look like you're sleeping better."

"Um, yes…I am." Ana said quietly, blushing even more as she thought of him. Last night had been a personal best for him, in a manner of speaking. _He's definitely getting stronger…_

"Good." Minerva smirked, "Though I'm not sure how that helps you sleep, exactly."

_Oh, дерьмо! _She thought in alarm, turning red as a beet, _did I just say __that__ aloud?!_

Standing up to leave, moving the chair back where she'd retrieved it from with a wave of her hand, the Headmistress smiled down at Ana.

"Oh, well, no matter. I'm very happy for the two of you, dear. I can tell that he's good for you, and I know that you're good for him. Believe me, he is much easier to work with now that he has you."

_I need to take Severus up on his offer to work with me on improving my Occulmency_, Ana thought. _At least, if I'm better at concealing my thoughts, I might not embarrass myself so much._

ooOoo

Three weeks before Christmas, Ana was surprised to see that Ginny Weasley had stayed after Potions class to speak to her. The girl's grades were excellent, no problems there. Ana finished marking the essay she was grading and looked up at her student.

"Yes, Miss Weasley? Is there something you need?" She said crisply.

"Yes, Professor Romanov. I have Professor Snape for DADA, and some of the other students and I would like to start a dueling club," Ginny said breathlessly, eyes bright and nervous.

"Professor Snape is your DADA instructor," Ana replied, capping her inkwell and _accioing_ a scrap of cloth to clean off her quill. "Shouldn't he be the one to supervise your club?"

"Um, yes, Professor. But we hate to ask him to, because he's…still-"

"Still what, Miss Weasley?" Ana purred menacingly.

"Um…we didn't want to ask him," The girl stammered in panic, blushing. "We didn't want to impose on him. I…he's still…in so much pain, Professor."

For a long moment, she just stared in shock at the redheaded seventh year. If anything, the younger witch's eyes got even wider, her face turning ashen as stumbled over her words.

"I...please don't say anything to him, Professor! He'll be angry with me if he finds out I said anything!"

"Sit down, Miss Weasley." Ana said softly, when she finally managed to find her voice. Drawing her wand, she shut and warded the door to the hallway.

"Tell me everything you know, now." She said, pocketing her wand.

"I…I've seen him, even during class…" Ginny swallowed nervously, squirming under the scrutiny of Ana's flinty gray eyes. "He…he gets to leaning on the desk a lot if he has to stand. His left hand gets to shaking, too, like he has the palsy. He even dropped his wand in class the other day…his hand was trembling so badly. He just…, well, I…"

She looked at Ana miserably, fearfully, her hazel eyes pleading with her professor.

"Do…do I have to go on…?"

"Yes, Miss Weasley." Ana replied, sighing. "I…I need to know. Tell me everything."

The girl swallowed nervously, gathering herself.

"He didn't use to, but he usually can't make it through my DADA class without excusing himself." She continued, her voice shaky. "He…has to take a potion, sometimes two. He said that he had a headache, that it was Headache Relief potion, but I know he wasn't telling the truth."

"Miss Weasley, do you think that a Professor would lie to you? And just what makes you believe he is lying?"

"Um…yes, well…his eyes…he looks down, then to the left and purses his lips just before he lies, Professor." Ginny blushed.

Ana covered her mouth, barely hiding her smirk.

_That's exactly what he does_, she thought. _I'd better find a way to quietly award about twenty points to Gryffindor. Very observant of her._

She sighed gravely, forcing her attention back to the subject at hand.

"Did you get a look at the potion?" Ana asked. "What color it was, what it smelled like?"

"Yes, Professor. " Ginny said, "Headache Relief potion isn't greenish gray, and it doesn't smell likeTears of the Poppy."

"Tears of the Poppy?" Ana asked, paling visibly. "Are you sure?"

"Yes, Professor. My fourth year, when Professor Snape was teaching Potions he had us all smell it to learn what it smelled like. It…it has a very distinct odor." Ginny replied, her voice cracking, tears welling in her brown eyes. "I…I don't want to get Professor Snape in trouble, I like him! I like having him for DADA, he's a great teacher! You don't…you won't tell the Headmistress, will you?"

_This could be serious._ She thought, as the gravity of the situation hit home, leaving her feeling somewhat nauseous. _Tears of the Poppy, also known as extract of opium poppy. _

_Highly restricted access and distribution, kept under lock and key in the most carefully warded area of potions ingredient storage here…and only Severus and I have a key. _

_We would both be held accountable if there were an audit._

Shaking the thoughts from her mind, she forced herself to attend to the matter at hand, grimly putting her fears aside.

"No, Miss Weasley." Ana said, fighting off a wave of queasiness. "I…would need more information, and…this is probably best handled quietly. I'm sure there is a good explanation for this."

Ginny nodded, worrying her lip between her teeth nervously.

"It would be best if you didn't speak to anyone about this for now." Ana said. "Let those of us in the faculty handle this."

"Yes, Professor." Ginny replied. "Um…Professor…?"

"Yes?"

"I…I don't want Professor Snape to be sacked over this." The girl said miserably. "I…lots of students really do like him."

"Neither do I, Miss Weasley."

"I mean, he's a hero to us, Professor. He…he protected us."

_Me too, Miss Weasley_. Ana thought. _Me, too._

"I'll consider sponsoring your Dueling Club, Miss Weasley." She said, "Get me a list of those students who are interested by Wednesday of next week, and we'll set it up."

Ginny nodded.

"In the meanwhile, say nothing about this to anyone." Ana said sharply. "I will investigate the matter, and determine what action needs to be taken."

"Yes, Professor."

"Dismissed, Miss Weasley." Ana said, unwarding the door to the hallway.

When the door closed behind the student, Ana let her head fall into her hands with a sigh.

_Oh, Severus…_she thought, _what have you done?_

_How could I have been so blind?_

_Well, he is a potions master, and a former double agent, a spy. He's very clever, very intelligent. Since he still makes potions for the Hospital Wing here, of course he has a key to the restricted ingredients storage room._

She rubbed her temples, closing her eyes against the headache that she could feel brewing.

_If the Board of Regents hears of this, he could lose his job. He could lose his title as Potions Master. He could lose his wand…_

_He has to be concealing the odor of the Tears of the Poppy somehow. Otherwise I would be able to smell it…_

_Where would I be least likely to look? Where would he hide it?_

Her eyes widened as she realized how he was hiding it.

She abruptly stood up, crossing the Potions classroom to the door to Severus' living quarters, the rooms that they had shared for the past few months. Walking to the table beside his chair, she picked up the crystal decanter of firewhisky and removed the stopper. Raising the decanter to her nose, she sniffed carefully, wrinkling her nose up at the smell of the pungent liquor. Slowly, she replaced the stopper, carefully setting the decanter on the table with a muted clunk.

Closing her eyes, she sank down into his armchair, rubbing her eyes wearily.

_Дерьмо. Я был таким дураком. _She thought angrily, not certain who she was most angry with; Severus or herself.

_How clueless of me. He's been putting it in his firewhiskey decanter all along, sipping it from a glass right in front of me. As dangerous as that can be, mixing an opiate with alcohol._

_Oh, Merlin…what am I going to do now?_ Ana thought, fear gripping her heart.

ooOoo

Author's notes-

"_дерьмо" _= shit.

"_Дерьмо. Я был таким дураком."_ = Shit. I've been such a fool.


	4. Chapter 11 to 15

Chapter 11

When Severus came in that evening, Ana was curled up on the couch with the latest Potions Monthly, absorbed in an article on the recent discovery of a new species of flobberworm in Jakarta.

"How was your day?" She asked, smiling up at him.

"Dreadful." He sighed, warming his hands at the fire. "Among other entertaining things, Miss Burnam turned Oskar Filton-Smythe into a newt. We spent the last thirty minutes of class trying to catch him so I could return him to his original form."

Ana giggled. _Well, so far, so good_, she thought. _I don't think he suspects anything…yet._

"Would you like a glass of firewhiskey, perhaps a bath before we go to dinner?" She asked lightly, marking her place in her magazine and rising from the couch.

"I thought you didn't approve." He smirked, turning to give her a hug and brief kiss.

"Oh, it's just that I don't like the smell of it. Just brush your teeth before you kiss me." She replied innocently, walking over to the decanter and pouring two fingers of the golden liquor into a glass. Turning to face him, she held the glass up to her nose, sniffing. Wrinkling her nose in distaste, she put it to her mouth and took a sip, grimacing as the fiery liquor burned her throat.

"If you don't like the way it smells, then why take a sip, witch?" Severus snapped, walking over to take the glass from her. She had anticipated this, and easily avoided him, deftly slipping past him to stand by the fireplace.

"I'll pour you another glass." She smirked, noting the signs of panic manifesting in his expression.

"You shouldn't-"

"Shouldn't what? Pour you another glass?" She teased. By now, he was looking rather pale, more so than usual.

Taking pity on him, she walked over and handed him the glass with a sigh, faking a pout.

_Almost time for this charade to end_, she thought.

"Oh, here you go." She sighed, smiling playfully and handing him the glass. "I was just teasing you."

As she watched closely, he took a sip. He frowned, and then sniffed at the liquor, his face a neutral mask.

"Something wrong?" Ana asked lightly, all innocence.

_He can tell it's not in there_, she thought, making sure her Occulmency shields were secure._ He knows that there's something up now._

"Um…no." He said quickly, "Nothing is wrong. It…it's just been a long day."

She smirked, and then walked back to the couch to pick up her magazine, sitting down and putting her stocking feet up with a sigh. Severus casually walked to the other end of the couch to sit down with his glass, lifting her feet and depositing them in his lap.

"A long day for you, too?" He said gently, one hand idly rubbing her aching foot.

"Yes." She sighed, relaxing. He was so good with his hands.

_I almost regret what I will have to do to him_, she thought sadly, allowing a bit of her sadness to slip past her Occulmency shields. Just enough to tempt him.

"You seem to be worried about something?" He said, smirking at the surprise on her face.

"What? Oh…" She sighed, shifting her feet slightly. "Oh, that's wonderful. Do the right one, it's been cramping terribly all day in the instep…

"I'm not sure," Ana said, "but I think a student may have been stealing from the Potions storeroom." She said, carefully monitoring his reaction. "I've spent most of the afternoon checking the inventory. There isn't much missing, but I'm concerned…"

"Hm…I've had that problem before." He said thoughtfully, his brow furrowed in concentration. "What was it, boomslang skin, lacewing flies? Probably someone's planning to brew some Polyjuice potion, no doubt up to no good. Harmless, for the most part. The last time it happened, there was a mistake and the student partially turned herself into a cat."

"That's what I'm concerned about, Severus." Ana said softly, putting a worried expression on her face. "It's a restricted ingredient, and it's being taken from the restricted ingredients storage. If I don't find out who's taking it, I could possibly lose my job, my license as a Potions Mistress. Not to mention what might happen if a student hurt themselves with it."

"What is going missing?"

"Tears of the Poppy. There was a vial that had about 300 milliliters at the beginning of the term, and now it's down to 200. I just figured it out today. I don't understand it; we only keep it on hand for making potions that might be needed by the Hospital wing."

By now, his hand was still, though it still rested lightly on her right foot. He was very pale, almost ghostly, and a thin film of sweat coated his brow as he stared fixedly into the fire.

"Severus?" Ana said, touching him on the arm, truly concerned now. _Oh, dear. I've gone too far with this._

"Hm?"

"Are you alright, darling? You look…pale."

"I…I'll be alright, dear." He switched the glass from his left hand to his right, and smiled at her, hoping to distract her from his left hand.

It was too late for that; as she had already noticed that it was trembling.

oOo

"Severus?"

He turned to see Ana in the doorway to the Potions storeroom, her bathrobe on, her feet bare on the cold stone floor.

"What are you doing here at one in the morning?" She said sleepily, rubbing her eyes. "I woke up and was cold…"

"I…couldn't sleep." He lied quickly. "I was thinking, got an idea…"

"Severus, don't lie to me." Ana sighed, putting her hand in her pocket.

_Merlin, I don't want to do this_, she thought sadly.

"I-"

"Is this what you are looking for?" She said, holding up a small bottle.

He froze in place, paling visibly.

oOo

"You need to talk to Poppy." Ana said, fighting to keep her anger out of her voice. "She can get you something to help with the pain. Legally."

"I can take care of myself." He snapped, opening his book. Their arguing had followed this pattern for the last week; she tried to have a reasonable discussion, and he would have none of it.

_I've about had enough of this дерьмo_, she thought angrily.

"Don't you ignore me." She said, snatching the book from his hands and putting it on his writing desk. "You're addicted. You know as well as I, that it doesn't fix the problem; it only helps with the pain. Now, Healer Drake down in Pemberton has been experimenting with using extract of sativa root with mandrake to regenerate nerve cells-"

"Oh, there you go again with the Healer Drake nonsense." He hissed angrily, on his feet, towering over her.

_I will not allow him to bully me_, Ana thought grimly, folding her arms and glaring up at him defiantly. He glared right back.

"I know you think she's a quack." She said, fighting to stay calm. "But in just this month's Potions Monthly, she has an article published that-"

"Rubbish." He snapped, shoving his trembling left hand into his pants pocket.

Ana sighed heavily, closing her eyes.

"Severus, please. Please listen to me. Look at me." She said, opening her gray eyes to look deeply into his, taking his face gently in her hands and turning his face toward hers.

"I love you." She said softly. "I don't want you to suffer. I want you to be better."

He still glared at her, but said nothing. _A good sign_, she thought. _At least he's listening._

"I can make you something, a potion for the pain…but it's experimental, something I've been working on for a while." She said, hesitating. If word of what she was planning to do got to the right ears, she'd never hold a potions license again.

"I'll control the dosage, and monitor how often you take it." She continued, ignoring the queasy feeling in her gut. "There will be only one vial that we'll use, and I'll be putting a charm on it to monitor…how you use it."

She looked up at him nervously, afraid to go on.

"Go on." He sighed. "Tell me what you want in return for this."

"I want you to go see Healer Drake." She replied, looking at him sharply when he frowned. "I know you think she's a quack, but she may be on to something with her research."

"Just go see her?" He growled.

"Go talk to her." Ana said, putting both hands on his shoulders. "Read her research papers. I'm not saying she's right on everything, but what if she is? It could help your nerve damage. You could not need the pain potion at all, eventually."

_Please, Severus_, she thought, dropping her Occulmency shields completely. _I love you; I just want you to be well. It hurts me so to see you suffer._

Sighing, he gave in.

"You really do love me." He said softly.

"I do." She smirked, her heart leaping in joy.

"You can stop shouting your thoughts at me, silly witch."

She smiled brightly, and then her smile faded abruptly.

"What?" he sighed. "What's wrong?"

"I just remembered…" She said miserably, picking at a button on his shirt. "You'll have to be…clean to take the potion I'll be making for you. I…it…if you have any Tears of the Poppy in your system when you take it, it may not be effective. Everything has to be balanced, or it may not work."

"In other words, I'll have to quit." He said, rubbing his chin in thought.

Ana nodded mutely, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"I…let me work on it some more, maybe there's a way…" She said, trailing off when he shook his head at her.

"I'm assuming the potion has angel's wing in it…" Severus said, and when Ana nodded her head, went on, "That's the only thing I know of that reacts with Tears of the Poppy to any degree."

"We can put it off, at least until I come up with an alternative for the angel's wing…" She began, but he put his finger to her lips, hushing her.

"We'd be putting it off a long time." He sighed. "The only thing we can do is for me to quit, 'cold turkey,' as the Yanks would put it."

"Oh, Severus…that's going to be awful for you."

"I've survived the _Cruciatus_ curse, several times, in fact." He sighed. "I can't see as withdrawal from opiate addiction can be much worse."

She sighed. There was one last thing she needed to say, and it was the thing that she feared most.

"I…I'm going to ward the Potions storeroom…" She said quietly. "Just the restricted section. But…you know why."

She tensed, watching him closely, dreading the explosion that she was sure would come.

He glared at her for a moment, then his expression softened, and he hung his head a bit.

"I…yes, that's a good idea." He sighed. "I would suggest you hide my wand when it begins, also."

oOo

They decided to start the process a few days before the holiday break for Christmas and New Year's; nearly all of the students would be gone from Hogwarts. Ana had given him his last dose of Tears of the Poppy in a bit of firewhiskey just before dinner on Friday, after the students had left on holiday. After dinner, they had retired to their quarters, and spent most of the evening on the couch.

Ana awoke late the next morning to find him pacing the sitting room, rubbing his arms and sniffing as if he had a cold. He was dressed in old, faded blue jeans, trainers, and a weathered t-shirt from a muggle rock band concert tour. When Severus saw her come in, he walked over to her and handed her his wand.

"Better give it to you now." He smiled wanly.

"Is it bad yet?" She asked, sliding the wand into the pocket of her bathrobe.

"No." He sighed. "It's tolerable now. It will get worse, I'm sure."

Ana sat down on the couch, tucking her feet up under herself to keep them warm.

"What do you want to do about meals?" She asked, "While you are, um…"

"Sick? Well, we can get the house elves to bring food down here to us." He smiled. "I'm sure they'll be delighted to have someone to serve while most everyone is gone."

"Are these early symptoms?" She asked, watching him pace.

"I think so." He answered, continuing to pace. "If I remember correctly, we can expect agitation, anxiety, muscle aches, insomnia, runny nose, sweating…most of the symptoms are similar to the flu. That's what I told Minerva, by the way…that I thought I was coming down with the flu. It should keep anyone from visiting us over the holidays, at least."

"And later on?"

"We may see more flu-like symptoms. Abdominal cramps, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea."

"Oh, dear." She said, grimacing. "How long will it take?"

"Seven to ten days, I believe. By the time the students return, I'll still feel horrible, but I'll be over the worst of it."

"Until you start feeling the pain that you were taking the Tears of the Poppy for." She sighed. "I feel awful about this, Severus."

"Don't feel bad about it." He said gently, stopping his pacing to come over and give her a gentle kiss. "I should be apologizing to you. It was my stupidity that got me into this mess."

The fifth day, Christmas day, was the worst. Ana woke in the early morning hours, finding him gone from the bed. She put on her bathrobe and went looking for him, finding him in the bathroom, curled up on his side on the cold stone floor. Transfiguring a flannel into a pillow and a towel into a blanket, she tried to make him as comfortable as she could.

"Thank you…" He said weakly, wiping something off his lip. He'd been crouched over the loo, violently ill for at least the third time since Ana had found him.

She _Accio'd_ a glass and filled it with water for him, helping him to sit back up. Cautiously taking a few sips, he leaned back against the wall with a sigh.

"Better?" she asked anxiously.

"Not too bad. It was worse earlier, when I actually had something to vomit." He smiled crookedly. "At least I haven't had any diarrhea, thank Merlin."

They sat together a long time, with him leaning against her, his head pillowed on her breast. She was starting to think he'd fallen asleep, when he stirred and looked at her.

"I suppose you've seen me at my worst, haven't you?" He said, smiling wanly.

"Well, you've seen me at my worst, too." She replied, caressing his hair.

"Thank you for taking such good care of me." He sighed weakly, dropping his head into her lap.

"It's my pleasure, Severus." Ana said, pulling the blanket up over him. He was shivering again, and that worried her.

oOo

Severus was wrong on one thing, though. Minerva showed up at the door on the morning of the sixth day, undeterred by Ana trying to brush her off at the door.

"Oh, nonsense." Said the Headmistress, walking into the sitting room, Ana trying valiantly to head her off before she reached it. "He never gets sick, he's always healthy as a-"

Severus glowered up at her from the couch, wrapped in blankets, his bloodshot eyes and pale complexion bearing silent witness to his condition.

"Minerva…sod off." He growled hoarsely, his voice nearly gone from spending most of the night up with the dry heaves in the bathroom.

"Severus! What on earth!" Minerva said, shocked at such rudeness.

"I told you, Headmistress. He's got the flu." Ana said, tugging at Minerva's elbow, trying to lead her out of the sitting room. "It's best if you don't visit right now, as I tried to tell you."

"Well, I hope you get well soon, Severus." Minerva snapped, leaving in a huff.

Ana saw her out, then shut the door and warded it, not wanting any more visitors.

oOo

On the seventh day, Ana woke up to find Severus up before her, sitting in his chair sipping coffee and reading The Daily Prophet.

"Good morning." She said, happy to see that he looked much better than yesterday.

"Good morning, dear." He replied.

"How do you feel?"

"Not the best, but better than yesterday. I believe the worst of it is over."

She walked over to him, took a small vial out and handed it to him.

"What's this?" He asked, looking at the vial, then up at her.

"It's the potion I promised you." She said quietly, watching him as he removed the stopper and sniffed at the contents.

"Angel's wing, asphodel…" He mused, sniffing again at the contents. Frowning, then he looked up at her, eyebrows rising. "I…is that cobra venom I smell?"

"An extract of some of the elements in cobra venom." Ana said, sitting down on the couch. "I reworked it to act as a blocker for nerve synapses. It…it's something I've been working on in my spare time. When you feel that the pain is getting to where it's unbearable, you can take a dose of it. The vial is charmed to meter out the correct dosage, and won't let you take more than you should."

"This is brilliant." He said, looking at her in wonder. "I'm quite impressed, Potions Mistress Romanov."

"Why, thank you, Potions Master Snape." She blushed, smiling. "Just let me know when you need it refilled."

oOo

February 4, 1999~

Severus' condition continued to improve; he felt so good that he was thinking he'd like to take Ana to dinner to celebrate. Humming to himself, he walked into the bedroom to ask her where she might like to go that evening, but she wasn't there.

_She's usually up by now_, he thought, puzzled.

Walking back into the hallway, he noticed that the bathroom door was shut.

_How on earth did I not notice? _He chided himself, rapping lightly on the door.

"Ana? Are you in there?" He said.

"Go away."

"Are you ill?" He said, puzzled.

"Go away!"

_What the hell? _He thought, backing away from the door. _I suppose she will explain when she comes out._

He sighed, and then went back to the sitting room to read.

_I do hope she's not ill._

Ana was sitting in her terrycloth bathrobe, her wand in her trembling hand, pointed at the door. When she was fairly certain that Severus was no longer at the door, she turned the wand toward herself. For the fourth time…or was it the fifth?

"_Aperire uterum_." She whispered, her voice shaky. Her wand glowed pink for several minutes.

_Oh, Merlin_, she groaned inwardly. _It can't be. It just can't be. We've been so careful._

When she whispered the charm again, if anything, the pinkish glow was even brighter.

_Я не готов иметь ребенка еще_, she thought with a deep sigh.

_How do I tell him this?_

'_Severus, you're going to be a daddy'? He'll be furious. I know he doesn't want children._

Ana cradled her head in her hands in despair, trying not to weep.

oOo

Author's notes-

"_дерьмо" _= shit.

(Ana sure does have an affinity for this word, doesn't she?)

_Aperire uterum _= (Lat.), "reveal pregnancy"

"_Я не готов иметь ребенка еще_." = "I'm not ready to have a baby yet."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 12

February 15th, 1999~

Nothing more had been said by Severus about that morning in the bathroom after she had explained to him that she was 'indisposed', hinting that she had started her monthlies that morning and it had been a mess. She felt guilty about lying to him, but she just couldn't face discussing it with him. Not yet.

_After all, the charm could have been cast incorrectly, right?_ She thought as she graded essays from her fifth period class, keeping a careful eye on the first-years as they made sunburn ointment.

_Surely, my period will start any day now_, she sighed inwardly, chewing nervously on her lip. _I've been late before. I know I've cast the contraceptive charm before every time, every single time…_

Her thoughts stopped cold, a drop of red ink fell unnoticed to the parchment she was grading as the sudden realization hit home.

_Except that night that he took his last dose of Tears of the Poppy, before he started on kicking the habit the next day_. She groaned inwardly, dropping her quill to leave a smear of red ink across the parchment that she'd have to vanish later.

_Oh, Merlin. That one time. I'd had enough firewhiskey; I might have forgotten…I don't remember casting any charms at all, let alone the Contraception Charm._

oOo

"Ana! How are you, dear?" Poppy exclaimed when she noticed Ana walking into the Hospital wing, several boxes floating along behind her.

"Fine, Poppy." Ana smiled, though she felt half sick. "I, um, brought some of the potions and ointments that you needed."

She'd skipped breakfast, and was feeling a bit lightheaded. The toast went down alright, but when she saw the eggs and bacon, she had to excuse herself to the loo. She'd nearly been late for her first period class.

"Splendid, splendid." Poppy beamed, pausing to tell one of the junior healers to take the boxes to the storeroom.

"Um, Poppy? Could I speak to you for a moment? Ana said nervously.

"Of course, dear."

"Privately?"

"Oh, of course…my office is this way." Poppy said, walking toward a doorway. Ana closed the door behind her and warded it with a silencing charm.

"I gather that this is personal, given that you've warded the door." Poppy said crisply, seating herself behind her desk.

"Very." Ana replied, sitting on a chair in front of the desk, smoothing her robes with hands that were trembling.

"My guess is that you think you might be pregnant."

Ana went completely pale, swaying for a moment in her chair. She gripped the armrests, forcing herself to breathe normally.

"I…I'm not sure, Poppy. We've been very careful-"

"Ana, I'm not going to judge you. My profession dictates that I help you." Poppy smiled gently. "Now, when was your last period, dear?"

"It was…um…November, I think." Ana said softly, trying to remember. "I…I cast the _Aperire uterum_ charm…"

"Ah, that one. Accurate for the most part, but not that sensitive." Poppy sighed.

The Medi-witch walked around the desk and took out her wand.

"Now, this may tickle just a bit." Poppy said, waving her wand over Ana's tummy and speaking an incantation.

oOo

Ana was in a daze the rest of the day. She picked slowly at her lunch, sat staring into space getting little preparation done during her planning period, and assigned the students in her last two classes of the day simple potions that had low risk for any accidents. When the last student walked out of the classroom, she picked up her wand and closed the door.

_I'm pregnant. No question about it now, Poppy confirmed it._ She thought, rubbing her temples, feeling a headache coming on. Dropping her hands to her abdomen, she carefully felt of it, trying to discern if there was a bump.

_Hello, in there, little person._ She thought, gently caressing her tummy.

_Tummy is still flat. At least, for now._

_What will Severus say?_

oOo

Three weeks later, Ana was at the board, writing down the assignment for her first period class. It hit her just as the students were coming in, straggling to their seats as they did every Monday morning. As the taste of bile came to her mouth, she dropped the chalk and rushed through the door into Snape's private quarters. She barely made it to the loo in time before she expelled the meager contents of her stomach, painfully hitting her knees on the stone floor as she knelt, retching.

Washing her hands and mouth with a flannel, she rinsed out her mouth, and then brushed her teeth, placing her toothbrush next to Severus' in the holder. Brushing her robes off, she walked back into the classroom, glaring at the first-years for good measure. It was wholly unnecessary; not a single one had moved after her hasty exit. Satisfied, she _Accio'd_ another piece of chalk and finished writing the assignment, not noticing the tabby cat skulking out the door to the hallway.

She was ravenous by the time lunchtime arrived, and for a change, it actually sat well with her. Walking into the Potions classroom with a satisfied smirk on her face, she closed the door behind her, determined to get caught up on her essay grading during this planning period. As she walked toward her desk, she halted, her breath catching in her throat.

"Hello, Ana." Headmistress McGonagall said frostily, her gray eyes cold.

"Good…good afternoon, Headmistress." Ana said uneasily, struggling to keep calm.

_There's no way she knows anything_, she thought, but then a sinking feeling came over her as she considered how close Poppy and Minerva were.

"Ana, if you will recall," Minerva said casually, "We discussed you having a relationship with Severus, did we not?"

"Yes, Headmistress."

"Did I not make a request of you at that time?"

"You said that you approved, but we needed to be…discreet…" Ana said, her voice trailing off in a whisper.

_Oh, Merlin…_ she thought in despair.

"You disobeyed my sole request." The Headmistress said, "With students in the classroom, you went into Severus' private quarters, with him absent from them. What on earth were you thinking, girl?"

"I…I wasn't thinking, Headmistress…"

"Obviously not. I just happened to be looking in on your class, in my transfigured form so as not to bother the students. Why did you go to Severus' quarters? You should have used yours."

"I was sick…and the bathroom in Severus' quarters is closer than the one in mine…" Ana said weakly, sinking into a seat near the front of the classroom.

"Be that as it may, it is still in Severus' quarters, and now I have to explain to students why and worse yet, what happens if any of this gets to the Board of Regents? It's not against school policies for professors, but some parents may not approve."

"I…I had morning sickness." Ana said miserably, tears welling up in her eyes. "I..I'm pregnant."

Minerva began to say something, but the shock wouldn't let her utter a word. Instead, she quickly rose and walked over to Ana, sliding her arms around her just as the younger witch collapsed in tears. Pulling out her wand, the Headmistress locked and warded the door.

"Does Severus know?" Minerva asked gently, when Ana's crying had subsided somewhat.

"No…" She replied, wiping at her nose with her hanky. "I…I haven't told him. I just went to Poppy only a few weeks ago…to make sure of it."

"Don't you think it's only fair to tell him, child?"

"Yes, I…No…I don't know. He's always told me that he didn't want any children, and now I've gone and done it…"

"Ana. Look at me." Minerva said firmly, gently taking Ana's chin and making her look up. "You've done nothing wrong. I-"

"I forgot to cast the contraceptive charm; I'm the one at fault."

"Nonsense. He shares part of the blame, doesn't he?" Minerva sighed. "You need to tell him, dear."

"I…I can't." Ana said, shrinking back. "He…I…"

Minerva sighed.

"I just can't, Headmistress. Not yet." Ana whispered.

oOo

She was sitting on the couch, reading through Hilton's Flora of the East Indies, when Severus came in and deftly took the book from her hands, marking her spot and putting it on the writing desk before she could stop him.

"Hey! I was reading that!" She protested weakly.

"I believe that you have something else to do tonight, Professor Romanov." He said silkily, dropping an envelope in her lap. "Consider it a reward for your…assistance this past month, and also as an apology for my rude behavior."

Frowning at him, she picked up the envelope, examining it curiously.

"Well, open it." He said, with no small amount of impatience.

Inside were two tickets, for a box seat at the London Coliseum. As she read the tickets, her jaw dropped.

"Severus…Swan Lake…the Kirov Ballet…" She whispered, her eyes unable to focus well due to tears welling up. "You…"

"Dry your eyes and get dressed for dinner, darling." He said, giving her a gentle kiss on her forehead. "We need to leave in an hour so we may have dinner before the ballet."

oOo

When they'd finished with dinner, just a light meal at a very good Italian restaurant close to the Coliseum, they still had a half hour till the ballet. Deciding to go for a short walk, they found a park nearby.

On a park bench sat a young girl, about six years old perhaps. She was sniffling, shivering in the cold, and looking completely forlorn. Ana looked around, puzzled, seeing no adult in sight save for herself and Severus. He had momentarily left her to look at the lake, watching the swans swim gracefully along the shore.

"Severus?" She called out to him.

"Yes?" He said, turning toward her. Ana could tell when he noticed the little girl; an odd expression came over his face. It was difficult to read it, though she felt she could see sadness mixed with anger in his dark eyes.

"Do you see her parents anywhere?" She asked him, concerned now that she'd looked at the girl a bit more. She had no mittens or gloves, and one of her little fur boots was missing.

Severus glanced around, scrutinizing the surroundings.

"I don't see anyone around." He said, walking over to the child. Her eyes grew wide at the sight of the imposing man looming over her. Ana was certain that the girl would run away.

Then Severus knelt in the dirty snow on the path in front of the park bench, speaking to the child so softly that Ana couldn't hear him.

_Oh, Merlin_, she thought, her heart giving a lurch as old terrors resurfaced, curling icy fingers around it.

_I remember now._

oOo

_S. V. Razin, Зелья и Подвески_, the faded letters read on the battered wooden sign in front of the tiny cottage as it swayed in the wind. It was barely visible in the snow that swirled around it, drifting up against the picket fence in the front yard. The tall, slender figure in black hefted his burden, knocking sharply on the wooden door.

A bit of movement from inside, some muffled conversation, and the locks being unlocked, and the door eased open a crack. A woman in her fifties, perhaps, peered out into the night.

"Кто ты?" She grumbled, blocking the door with her shoulder, "Что ты имеешь в виду, мешая нам в такой час? Ведь это почти полночь!"

"Ludmilla, please! It's freezing out here." The man snapped back.

The woman's jaw dropped.

"Severus?" She gasped in astonishment, and then jerked the door open.

"Ради бога, женщина, закрыл эту дверь!" Shouted the old man in the armchair as the wind howled into the house, scattering parchments everywhere that the man was sorting through on a small table before him.

Severus stepped into the house, his tiny burden shivering against him, her fingers knotted in his robes in a death grip. The young man, barely out of his teens, felt incredibly uncomfortable carrying a child on his hip.

"It's Severus Snape, Stenka!" Ludmilla snapped at the old wizard. She reached up to peek under the blanket wrapped around the child, the two gray eyes in the pale face glaring at her mistrustfully. The child turned her head away from the woman, her auburn hair obscuring her face as she burrowed deeper into Severus' robes.

"What's going on here, Severus?" Stenka Razin said, having gathered his windblown parchments and setting them back on the table. "What's this, now?"

"Death Eater raid." Said the young man, electing to not mention his involvment. "I…just happened to be nearby, heard the commotion. I…found this survivor."

"Come, come, bring her over by the fireplace," Ludmilla said, taking Severus by his arm to guide him to the couch by the fire. "Poor thing, she's chilled to the bone."

"Is she a Muggle?" Stenka said, frowning and peering at the girl through his thick spectacles that he used for reading.

"No, at least, I don't think so. From what I learned from the house I found her in, her last name is Romanov. I don't know much else. She was hiding in a closet from werewolves when I found her."

"Well, what do you intend to do with her, Severus? Raise her as your own?"

"I…no, I can't care for her, Stenka." Severus said, a bit flustered now. "I didn't exactly have a plan when I drove away the werewolves and picked her up. I'm only twenty years old. I'm too young to have a child around. I…just can't take care of her, I have no idea what to do…"

"Then leave her with us, Severus." Ludmilla said, coaxing the little girl to accept a mug of hot chocolate. "Our son Alexei…he's been gone five years now, Merlin rest his soul. I always wanted a little girl to take care of."

And with that, it was done. The Razins would raise the girl as their own, seeing that she was taken care of. Severus breathed a sigh of relief, sipping a mug of hot chocolate, warming himself until he had to venture out into the biting wind and snow, never to see the child again.

He failed to notice that her gray eyes never left him the entire time he was there, as if she were committing his face to memory.

oOo

"Ana?" Severus said, his face concerned.

She blinked, as if she were coming out of a deep trance. Severus stood before her; the little girl perched on his hip, wrapped in his heavy winter cloak. She felt her heart give a funny little lurch.

_She could be his daughter…our daughter._ She thought, feeling a bit dazed. _Our daughter…would she have black hair like him, or auburn, like mine?_

_Will her eyes be gray, or black…like his?_

"Ana, are you alright?" He said, breaking into her reverie.

"I…um, yes, Severus." She said hesitantly. "I'm…just a bit surprised. I thought you weren't comfortable with children."

"Well, no, I'm not." He admitted, frowning a bit as the little girl laid her head against his shoulder. "But I'm not about to leave her out in the cold, all alone. I'm sure her parents are frantic by now. Her name is Cecilia, by the way, and she lives in Bristol."

"How do you know that?"

"She told me, of course. Along with the fact that she wanted a pony for Christmas, but she didn't get one. She got a puppy instead, and his name is Snuffles."

"I see." Ana smiled.

"What should we do?" Ana asked, subtly using her wand to put a warming charm on the girl's feet and hands.

"Thank you for doing that; I can't get to my wand right now." Severus said, looking over his shoulder. "There's a police call box right over there. All I know to do is call the police and see if there is anyone in the area missing a child."

In the end, they missed the ballet completely. They ended up going to the police station to wait for the parents to arrive, breathless and panicked after having searched for two hours around the park for their daughter. The mother was nearly hysterical with joy and relief, hugging her daughter tightly and alternating between hugging Ana and an embarrassed Severus, who was mainly occupied in having his hand shook by the grateful father. The police interviewed both Severus and Ana, and then released them to go their way.

"Well now…" Severus said, "That was interesting. I'm sorry that we missed the ballet."

"It's alright." Ana said softly. "I saw a side of you I don't think I've seen much of."

He raised an eyebrow at her and frowned.

"And what side is that?"

"That you're actually very good with children." She said, sliding her hand through his arm as they walked down the sidewalk. "Cecilia wouldn't even look at me until her parents got there; she was clinging so tightly to you."

"Oh, you're just scary." He smirked. "Goes with being a Potions Mistress. DADA professors are much less frightening."

"Insufferable git." She huffed in mock annoyance, playfully batting at his arm.

For several minutes, they walked quietly toward the apparition point. Gradually, snow began to fall, slowly beginning to cover the sidewalk in a fresh white blanket.

"You're being very quiet." Severus remarked, his breath forming a cloud before him.

"I'm just thinking." Ana sighed, "I know you said you didn't want children. Why?"

"When did I ever say that?"

"I don't know…I guess…"

"It's not that I don't want children." He sighed. "I'm just afraid I wouldn't be a good father. My own childhood left much to be desired. I…I fear I just wouldn't be very good at it."

"I love you, you silly wizard." She smirked. "You would be a great father, I just know it."

He stopped and looked at her oddly, his black eyes boring into hers. She quickly made sure her Occulmency shields were secure, half panicking that he suspected already.

"I love you, too, you silly witch." He said finally, frowning. "But just what are you up to? Hmm?"

"Nothing, Severus." She said casually. "It's just that…that little girl. You holding her…well, it just looked so natural."

"She needed someone to protect her, to help her." He sighed. "I did what any decent man should do."

She slid her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her.

"That's part of why I love you so much, Severus." She whispered." You're the most decent man I've ever known."

oOo

Author's notes-

"Зелья и Подвески": "Potions &amp; Charms"

"Кто ты?" : "Who are you?"

"Что ты имеешь в виду, мешая нам в такой час? Ведь это почти полночь!" : "What do you mean, disturbing us at this hour? Why, it's nearly midnight!"

"Ради бога, женщина, закрыл эту дверь!" : "For god's sake, woman, shut that door!"

Trivia: Stenka Razin was a Cossack leader who led a major uprising against the nobility and Tsar's bureaucracy in South Russia from 1660-1671.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 13

_He was hiding, in the attic this time. It was the only safe way to practice._

_Lifting his wand, he concentrated on the feather that lay before him on the wooden box._

"_Wingardium Leviosa." He said softly, fearful that he might be heard, even though he was sure that Father wasn't home yet from the mill._

_The feather shifted slightly. Almost got it, he thought triumphantly._

_Concentrating harder, he lifted his wand again._

"_Wingardium Leviosa!" He said, making sure that he got the wand motion exactly right._

_The feather floated lazily upward to hover just above the level of his head. Severus grinned, joyful in his success._

_A huge hand snatched the feather from the air, crushing it._

"_How many times do I have ta' tell you, boy?" Tobias Snape roared, clouting Severus on the ear, knocking him down as he tried to escape. "No more magic! Ever!"_

"_Tobias, please-" His mother's frightened voice rang out, but was cut short with a cry of pain as her husband backhanded her, nearly knocking her down the attic stairs. Eileen Snape cringed in pain, holding her jaw, backing away from her husband._

"_Don't you hurt her!" Severus screamed, fists punching ineffectually at his father's massive back._

_His father turned, grabbing him by the throat in an iron grip._

"_No, laddie…I'll hurt you instead. You freak of nature! You abomination!"_

_Severus scratched at his father's hand, feeling his vision going dark-_

-Severus sat up, gasping, struggling for air.

Ana woke up immediately, sitting up in the bed. One glance told her all she needed to know.

"Bad dream?" She asked softly, rubbing his back with one hand. He was trembling with fear, shivering as she touched him.

Severus nodded his head, still breathing as if he'd just run a foot race. She slid her arms around him, kissing him gently on the cheek.

"Do you want to talk about it?" She asked, knowing he wouldn't. Severus shook his head, shuddering slightly.

"Lie down, then." She said, pulling him down to the bed with her, coaxing him to lay his head on her breast.

"It's alright, Severus. You're safe now." Ana said gently, stroking his hair, whispering words of comfort as he slowly relaxed.

oOo

In April, Poppy and Minerva cornered her after lunch. Ana looked around frantically for Severus, for a way to escape, but it was hopeless. Minerva took her firmly by the arm and marched her into an empty classroom. Poppy locked and warded the door behind them.

"Have you told him yet?" Snapped the Headmistress, crossing her arms and glaring at Ana.

"Um…no…"

Minerva sighed heavily.

"And just when do you plan to break the news, girl? When you're starting to show? You're what, three months along?"

"I just haven't found the right time, Headmistress." Ana replied, eyes darting toward the door. Poppy was standing in front of it. The Medi-witch caught Ana's nervous glance and smiled, shaking her head.

The message was clear. _No, you're not going to escape._

"Ana, he has a right to know. It's his child, too." Minerva said gently. "I know Severus pretty well. Even if he does get upset, it will blow over quickly. Just go ahead and tell him."

"I…I just don't…I haven't found the right way to say it. I feel stupid enough for forgetting to cast the contraceptive charm, and-"

"Ana, do you know how many mistakes Severus has made in his life?" Poppy said, leaning against the door. "If anyone knows the value of forgiveness, he does. Besides, you're assuming an awful lot to think that he will be angry with you. Just talk to him about having children, that you'd like to start a family someday. See how he reacts."

"I have talked to him a bit about children." Ana sighed. "He doesn't mind children, but he's afraid he wouldn't be a good father, mainly because of his own childhood."

"Nonsense." Minerva said firmly. "I've known Severus since he was eleven years old, and his parents, too. His father, Tobias, was a right bastard, and worse when he was drinking. But Ana, Severus is nothing like him. Not at all, or he wouldn't be teaching here. Severus took after his mother."

"Aye," Poppy chipped in, nodding her head in agreement. "I never knew what Eileen saw in Tobias, anyway. She was a beautiful witch, could have married much better than him."

"Who's Tobias?" Ana asked, thoroughly confused now. "Severus has never mentioned him…his father?"

"Aye, and not worthy of the title," Minerva sighed. "Tobias was a large man; Severus inherited his height from his father, but not the build. Tobias worked at the mill down by Spinner's End; at least, he did until it closed."

"Then he worked at crawling into a bottle," Poppy huffed, "When he wasn't beating on Eileen or Severus, or some of his no-account friends at the pub."

"Poppy!" Minerva said sharply.

"Well, its true, Minerva, and you know it." Poppy snapped back, and then turned her gaze to Ana. "I can't tell you much because of privacy regulations, but I've treated a certain young man more than once for suspicious injuries after he returned from home over the holidays. And that young man got to where he didn't go home on holiday at all, not even during the summer."

Minerva sighed.

"I'll tell him soon, I promise." Ana said, thinking it wise to change the subject. _As much as I'd like to know more about Severus and his life before _me, she thought, _I_ _think this subject is one I'd rather not hear any more on. Unless it's from Severus._

oOo

_I'm going to tell him tonight_, she thought as her last period class came to an end. She gathered the parchments as the students turned them in, stacking them neatly for grading later.

Except, he didn't come home. She went to dinner, hoping that he'd just worked late, only to find that he'd left after classes for Hogsmeade on an errand for the Headmistress.

"Honestly, Ana, I thought he would be back by now." Minerva said, with a sigh of exasperation. "I didn't intend for him to be gone all evening."

"Don't worry, Headmistress." Ana said, trying to hide her unease. It wasn't like Severus to not let her know when he was going to be away. "I'm sure he just stopped in at The Three Broomsticks, or somewhere for dinner. He should be back soon."

She picked at her food, drawing a scolding look from Poppy, after which she made more of an effort. But her eyes kept straying to the doors of the Great Hall, hoping that he would come in, scowling because of some delay that kept him from arriving on time for dinner.

_Oh, Merlin. Please come back, Severus._ She thought, struggling to keep her face unreadable, though her fear was gnawing at her.

After dinner, she sat in the Potions classroom, grading essays. It was something to keep her mind occupied while she waited.

The clock struck nine, and then ten. Other than the regular ticking of the clock in the Potions lab, the only other sound in the room was her quill scratching on the parchment.

The clock struck eleven, and still no sign of Severus. She laid her quill down.

"Ivan." She called softly. The Eagle owl gracefully unfolded his wings and sailed over to her desk, waiting expectantly.

Taking a scrap of parchment out, she wrote,

_Where are you? I'm worried. A._

"Найти Северус." She said softly to the owl, tying the parchment to his leg. Если он не пострадал, вернуться, чтобы сказать мне, где он."

Opening the window, she watched the owl soar away into the night.

_I'd better get prepared_, she thought. _I don't know why, but I have a very bad feeling about this._

oOo

The decrepit shack sat a distance away from Hogsmeade, just over the hill, near a wooded area. One might think it abandoned, save for a thin tendril of smoke from the chimney and the dim light from an oil lamp glowing in the single window.

"Bastard." Alecto Carrow spat, viciously kicking the man on the floor again, grinning as she heard ribs crack.

"Give it a rest, sis." Amycus sighed, idly toying with Severus' wand. "We got all night. Snape ain't goin' nowheres."

"He sold us all out, the traitor!" She raged, spitting on Severus again. "'E was workin' for Dumbledore all along! He betrayed our Lord!"

Picking up a bloodstained dagger that lay on the table, Alecto turned back to Severus.

Alecto smirked, sitting back to watch the show.

A flying board hit his head with a wet _crack_, as the door blew inward with a deafening explosion. Amycus slumped to the floor, twitched a bit, and then was still.

Numbly, Alecto stood, turning toward the door as Ana charged toward her, followed by Hagrid and Minerva. As Ana reached her, Alecto stabbed downward, aiming for her heart. Ana blocked it with her left arm, the dagger sinking to the hilt in to her forearm.

"Got you, bitch!" Alecto smirked in triumph, pulling out her wand. Suddenly, her eyes widened in surprise, the wand falling from nerveless fingers.

"Неправильный." Ana said coldly, grey eyes smoldering in rage. "Ты мертв, сука. Счастливого пути в ад."

With that, Ana stepped back from Alecto, twisting her dagger, then yanking it out of the other woman's heart. Alecto gasped, fighting for breath, a trickle of blood dribbling down her chin as she slowly bled out, sliding to the floor. Ana knelt by her to tear a strip of cloth from the corpse's robes, wiping her dagger clean, and then burning the cloth with a softly muttered '_Incendio_'.

"Blimey…right through the heart." Hagrid said softly, half to himself, lowering his pink umbrella. "I'm sure of it now. I don't ever want 'er mad at me."

Sheathing her dagger, Ana knelt beside Severus, checking his pulse with trembling fingers.

"He's alive." She said, her voice cracking slightly. Minerva walked over from Amycus' body, having confirmed that he was dead.

"I'll take him to Poppy." The Headmistress said quietly, then as Ana began to protest, gently took her by the arm. "No, you don't need to take him. There's too much chance you could splinch…both of you."

"But I need to-"

"No buts, young lady." Minerva said firmly. "You let Hagrid bring you back. Look at your hands, child. You're shaking like a leaf."

Taking hold of Severus, the Headmistress apparated away with a '_crack'_.

Ana sighed, then reached over and yanked the dagger out of her left arm, wincing at the faint metallic squeal as it came free.

"Blimey." Hagrid breathed, a horrified expression on his face. The half-giant looked as if he might faint.

"Pull yourself together, Hagrid." Ana said sharply, fighting to hide her own unsteadiness. "We need to get back to Hogwarts."

oOo

He opened his eyes slowly, carefully.

_Merlin, I'm sore_, Severus thought, shifting slightly in the hospital bed. Through the window, he could see the Whomping Willow in the distance.

_Looks like Poppy gave me my usual room. Déjà vu._

Looking around the room, he saw Ana curled up in an armchair, covered up with a blanket, sound asleep. Auburn hair spilled wildly around her head, propped up on one hand. Her right hand and the sleeve of her robes were stained with something that looked suspiciously like dried blood. As he watched her sleep, she slowly stirred and opened her eyes.

"I…good morning." She said, yawning.

"Looks like it's nearly noon, or after." He pointed out.

"I hadn't noticed."

He smirked, and then shifted in the bed a bit, grimacing in pain.

"Pain?" She asked, concern in her eyes.

"No, thank you. I have all I need."

Ana rolled her eyes and sighed at the bad joke.

"How did they capture you?" Ana asked, smirking slightly. His injuries hadn't been that severe; just a few superficial cuts and some broken ribs. She shuddered to think of what those two psychopaths might have done if she hadn't arrived in time; no doubt, much worse things had been planned.

"I got careless." He sighed. "I was in Knockturn Alley, picking up a few things for Minerva, when I saw Alecto run around a corner…and when I went after her, her brother was waiting for me with a Stunner. A rather foolish mistake on my part."

"I'm glad we got there in time." Ana said soberly.

"Me, too."

"Severus?"

"Yes?"

"Promise me something."

"Yes?"

"Promise me that you won't chase down former Death Eaters, even if they look like they are alone." Ana said sharply. "Because that's pretty dumb, and you're smarter than that."

"I promise I won't chase Death Eaters."

"Even if they look like they're alone." She prodded.

"Even if they look like they're alone." Severus sighed, giving in.

"Because I need you." Ana said softly. "I don't want to have to grieve for you just yet."

"Silly witch, you will have me around for a while yet." He smirked. "Poppy says that I should be able to leave the Hospital wing in a day or so."

She sat for a long while, silently picking at a loose thread on the blanket, fighting to maintain some semblance of control over her emotions as she struggled inwardly.

With a sigh of resignation, she got up, dropping the blanket in a heap on the chair, and walked over to the bed. Taking out her wand, she widened the hospital bed, and then lay down next to Severus carefully, careful to avoid his injuries. Tears were silently streaming down her cheeks as his arm came around her, pulling her to him in a hug.

For a long while, she wept, while he simply held her with the one arm, softly murmuring endearments into her hair.

"I don't know what I'd do if anything happened to you." She whispered hoarsely, when she was finished crying. His slender fingers traced a calming pattern on her back, sliding gently over her robes.

"I'm fine, dear." He said, pulling her near enough to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. "It would take more than a few cuts and broken bones to kill me."

"Severus…"

"Yes?"

"If I did something…really dumb…hypothetically, of course…would you be angry with me?" She asked hesitantly, nervously picking at a bit of lint on the blanket.

"I suppose it would depend on what it was. Severus said thoughtfully. "Hypothetically, I doubt you could do much of anything to make me angry."

"I…I see."

"Hypothetically… what might you have done?"

"I…think…back before Christmas, when you were kicking the habit…I forgot tocastthecontraceptivecharm." She said nervously, running all the words together, her voice trailing off into a whisper.

"I beg pardon?" He frowned, "I think I heard you say something about the contraceptive charm…did you forget to cast it?"

"I…I don't know." She said miserably, unable to look at him. "I…I've been careful, but…I'm not sure if I did the one time. It was the night that I gave you the last dose of Tears of the Poppy, before you…"

"Ah…I understand." He sighed, recalling that evening, and the night that followed. "We might have been a bit distracted that night…and possibly intoxicated."

"Um…Severus…I'm pregnant." She whispered, bracing herself.

"Don't worry."

"No, listen! I'm pregnant. With our baby." Ana said, trembling. "What are we going to do?"

"Well, to start with, you can stop worrying so much." He said, giving her another kiss on the forehead. "I'm not angry with you, witch. These things happen, you know."

"I know, but I should have-"

"Ana." He said gently. "I didn't plan to be a father, and I'm sure that you didn't plan to become a mother. I'm willing to try to be a father. That is, if you want me to."

"Why would say that?" She said, sitting up to look at him. "Of course I want you to! I just didn't want you to think that I was trying to entrap you-"

"Oh, nonsense." He said, "We've been living together since the beginning of the school year. This may not be planned, but it's happened. No sense worrying about it."

"Besides," Severus sighed, "It's probably about time, anyway. Fate seems to have intervened."

She just looked at him, stunned.

"Don't look so surprised." He sighed. "You've seen how I am with children. They adore me, even though I'm not always fond of them. I…may not always like my students, but I care about them. I…just don't know how to be a father. I didn't have a very good father to model myself after."

"You did very well with Cecilia, in the park."

"I suppose so. I'm sure she would have latched on to anyone kind and willing to help her that night."

"Severus, you will make a wonderful father." She said softly. "I just know it."

He frowned as the door opened and Poppy came into the room with a tray of potions.

"Time for your potions, Severus." The medi-witch said brightly, coming over to set the tray on the bedside table. "Blood-replenishing potion, Pain-reliever potion…"

"Yes, yes…I know Poppy." He sighed, rolling his eyes at Ana. "And the Dreamless Sleep. Can't I take that later, after I visit with my lovely witch a while longer?"

"You can if you wish to stay another day." Poppy said, chuckling. "If you take it now, it will be worn off by morning and you should be able to go back to your quarters. But, if you would rather stay up here with me instead-"

"Alright, I'll take the thrice-dammed potion." Severus hissed irritably. Taking the potions as Poppy handed them to him one by one, he downed them, grimacing at the iron taste of the Blood-replenishing potion.

"Oh, and Professor Romanov? Be sure to return my bed to the condition it was in when you leave."

"I will, Poppy." Ana blushed, watching the older woman leave the room.

Ana sat on the bed with him, wanting to spend what little time she had until he fell asleep with him. After about ten minutes, his speech began to be a bit slurred.

"I'm going to get a Muggle marker and draw on your face when you fall asleep." She teased.

"You wouldn't…dare." He said, not without effort as he struggled to keep awake.

"What if I just kiss you?" She sighed, pretending to pout a bit.

"Okay…"

She leaned down to kiss him, feeling his arm come up to pull her down to him. As his arm got heavier, showing that the potion was taking effect, she slipped away, placing his arm carefully on the bed.

"Good night, Severus…I love you."

"G'nite…" He mumbled, his voice barely audible. "I…love you…too."

oOo

Author's notes-

"Найти Северус. Если он не пострадал, вернуться, чтобы сказать мне, где он." = "Find Severus. If he is hurt, come back to tell me where he is."

"Неправильный… Ты мертв, сука. Счастливого пути в ад." = "Wrong. You're dead, bitch. Have a nice trip to hell."

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Chapter 14

Ana picked at her breakfast with a fork held in an unsteady hand, feeling physically and emotionally drained. The eggs, even though they were perfectly cooked by the house elves, still made her nauseous. For the past few weeks, breakfast had been tea and toast, sometimes with a bit of marmalade or jam, when she could keep it down.

Two weeks had passed since the attack on Severus, and he was still in the Hospital wing. Several of his wounds had become infected, causing him to develop a high fever. When not teaching her classes, Ana had spent the past few days with him, carefully monitoring cooling charms and changing dressings, catching quick cat naps when she could. She slept fitfully at best, her dreams haunted by her fears of what might come to pass.

Most of the rest of her time was spent in the Potions lab, analyzing the tarry substance smeared on the blade of Alecto's dagger. While she had copious notes on the composition of it, she had failed so far to find an antidote immediately, and it frustrated her to no end. Day after day slowly dragged by, with her working in the lab, poring through old dusty tomes in both the restricted section of the library and Severus' personal bookshelves. Her only respite was to go to the Hospital wing to see him.

Minerva and Poppy had both finally demanded that she come eat dinner in the Great Hall tonight, rather than have a house elf bring her a tray to the potions lab. Her food had no taste to it; how could she enjoy a meal knowing that Severus was only a few floors away, possibly dying?

_Poison_, she thought bitterly, throwing her fork down on her plate with a clatter that drew most everyone's attention in the Great Hall.

_She poisoned the blade of that nasty dagger. The one she cut on Severus with…the one she tried to stab me with_, she thought with a shudder.

_I killed that bitch too quickly_.

_I wish she were still alive, so I could kill her again._

_I wish…_

"Ana!" Minerva hissed under her breath, leaning over toward her. "What on earth-"

"I'm sorry, Headmistress, I don't feel well." Ana said, standing up and turning to go, weaving slightly as she walked. "Excuse me, I think I'm going to-"

"Hagrid!" Snapped Minerva, just a split second before Ana's eyes rolled back in her head, her knees giving way as she collapsed.

"Got 'er, Headmistress." The half-giant said, catching Ana neatly before she hit the floor.

"She's fainted, poor thing." Poppy said, running her wand quickly over Ana in a diagnostic charm. "Too much stress, not enough rest, not eating right at all."

"Gods have mercy." The Headmistress sighed, getting up from the staff table. "Let's take her up to the Hospital wing."

With Poppy and Minerva leading the way, Hagrid followed behind them, carrying the unconscious Potions professor past the tables full of gawking students.

"Go on, now!" Hagrid growled at a few as he passed them, Ana's head lolling against his massive shoulder, her right arm hanging limply. "This is none of yer business, ye hear?"

oOo

When Ana woke, it was well after dark. Minerva was sitting next to her bed in an armchair, half asleep with a book open in her lap, a lamp burning dimly. When Ana moved slightly in the bed, she looked up.

"How do you feel, dear?" Asked the Headmistress, taking off her reading glasses and rubbing her eyes.

"How is Severus?" Ana said, sitting up in the hospital bed and throwing the covers back. Minerva set her book down, intercepting Ana before she could get up, gently pushing her back down on the bed.

"He's fine, dear. No change."

"That's not 'fine.' That's-"

"Young lady, you will stay in that bed!" Minerva said sharply. "I understand your concern for Severus' condition, but you'll do no good for him if you make yourself ill."

"Has his fever broken yet?" Ana asked, her hands tightly clutching the covers, trembling with anxiety.

Minerva paused, considering her words carefully.

"No, dear." She sighed. "It hasn't. Poppy is with him now."

"I should be with him." Ana whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek. "He needs me…"

"You need to rest, dear. There's nothing we can do now but wait for him to recover."

"Can I at least go see him? Please?"

Minerva hesitated for a moment, and then nodded, rising to get Ana a terrycloth robe.

Rolling a wheelchair over to the bed, she helped Ana into it, and then carefully rolled her down the corridor to Severus' room.

"Headmistress?" Ana said hesitantly, after making sure they were alone in the hallway.

"Yes?"

"Um…about my…situation…"

"You're worried about what people will think about it, aren't you." Minerva said, stopping the wheelchair.

Ana nodded, her cheeks reddening a bit.

"I…Severus and I have talked a little bit, but never decided anything before…" Ana paused to take a breath and compose herself, to still her nerves. "Before he was attacked. And now that he's…he's…"

Tears began to spill down her cheeks as she broke down, unable to continue. The Headmistress knelt in front of the wheelchair to comfort her as she wept. When she was calmer, Minerva pulled away a bit, her arms still holding Ana.

"Ana, right now, the students are more concerned with exams than with gossiping about professors." She said crisply, a twinkle in her eye. "I wouldn't be surprised, given your condition, that most of them will believe anything other than you and Severus are already married."

"But we aren't-"

"Young lady," Minerva scoffed, smiling gently, "do you really think that you're the first witch to give birth out of wedlock? Or that lived in sin with the man they loved?"

"No…"

"Then stop fretting so about it." Minerva said gently, rising and patting her on the shoulder. "You have far more important things to worry about. As do I."

Handing Ana her hanky, the Headmistress began to push the wheelchair down the hallway once again.

"I'm going to have to get someone to cover Severus' classes," the Headmistress sighed as they made their way down the quiet corridor. "But it's so difficult to find a good DADA teacher on such short notice."

"I'm sure." Ana said carefully, drying her eyes. Suddenly she felt a bit uneasy, feeling the Headmistress' gaze on herself.

"I could…get Horace Slughorn to take over potions, and you could teach DADA." Minerva said, slowing her pace slightly. "I'm sure that you're well qualified. You have superb reflexes, and you've seen combat."

Ana gritted her teeth.

"I'll consider it." She sighed. "Can we walk a bit faster, please?"

"Oh, the impatience of youth…" Minerva chuckled, pushing the chair at a more brisk pace.

After what seemed an eternity to Ana, they finally wheeled through the door of Severus' room. She bit her lip, her eyes watering again at the sight of him.

He lay suspended above the bed, floating gently due to a levitation charm, shivering slightly with his fever, his gown soaked with sweat. A sob broke free from her throat, alerting Poppy and the assistant Healer of her presence.

"Ah, I see you talked Minerva into bringing you down to visit." Poppy said cheerily, nodding to the Headmistress as she waved her wand over Severus' forehead.

"Try to get some more fluids into him, Clarice." She said to the assistant Healer. "I don't want to risk him getting dehydrated."

Turning to Ana, Poppy took her wand and waved it in a complicated pattern over her lower abdomen, murmuring a few words in Latin. The wand glowed pink, then began to pulse rapidly.

"What's that?" Ana said uneasily.

"One of the most important people in this room, my dear." Poppy said gently. "She's the reason you need to take better care of yourself. I'll take care of Severus, that's my job. But if you make yourself ill, it wouldn't be good for the baby. Have you been taking your prenatal vitamin potions that I gave you?"

"Yes, but I-"

"No buts, dear." The Medi-witch said, tucking her wand away. "You must take care of yourself. That pulsing was the baby's heartbeat…and it was a bit high. When you get stressed, the baby is stressed also. Severus will be fine. His fever is stable; it's not going down, but it's not going up either. And thank Merlin, it's not too high."

"How high is it?" Ana asked nervously, self-consciously running her hand over her abdomen.

"It was at its worst two days ago, but it's better tonight…" Poppy checked a chart hung on the end of the bed, "It's at 37 degrees Centigrade now."

"That's far too high…" Ana said. Minerva put her hand on the younger woman's shoulder to comfort her, and Ana reached up and caught her hand with trembling fingers.

"Well, it was at forty degrees two days ago. No significant drop since then, and we've had to keep the cooling charms on him, but he's stable, and that's a very good sign."

"Can I…touch him?" Ana asked shyly. Poppy nodded, and the two older women helped her get up from the wheelchair, gently supporting her as she walked over to Severus.

Ana stood next to the bed, and then gently stroked his burning forehead with trembling fingers, biting her lip.

"Я здесь, дорогая." Ana said, her voice faint and shaky. "Пожалуйста, выздоравливай скорее, я очень по тебе скучаю."

"I…need you, Severus. I…" She paused, composing herself. "I can't find the antidote, the cure for this. I've failed you…"

Minerva squeezed her arm, drawing her attention.

"Now, you know that you did your best, dear." The Headmistress said. "I think you need to stop blaming yourself. He's getting better. You'll be talking potions with him in no time, I'm sure."

Ana nodded, hardly able to see for her tears.

"I'd…like to sit with him a while, Poppy, if I may." She said quietly. "I just need some time with him."

"Of course, dear. Minerva, Clarice, how about we get some tea?" Poppy said, "Ana, just ring the call bell if you need us."

The Medi-witch patted Ana on her arm, then she and the other two women walked out of the room.

When they were gone, she checked the cooling charms, and then sat on the bed with him, holding his hand.

"I love you, Severus. I miss you…" Ana said softly.

"You have to fight, to beat this fever…for us." She continued, placing his hand gently over the small, firm bulge in her lower abdomen. "For all three of us."

oOo

A week later, Ana sat in the DADA classroom, grading essays from the two classes that she'd taught that morning. Ivan sat quietly on his perch, half asleep. She paused to drink half the water in the glass sitting on the desk, glaring sullenly at the glass as it refilled itself, giving a soft chime as it reported her fluid intake to Poppy in the Hospital wing. With a sigh, she dipped her quill in the inkwell, and continued to make notations in red on the parchment. It was almost time for her to go to the Great Hall for lunch, and she only had two essays to grade.

Severus' fever had broken two days ago, though he was so weak that he could hardly stay conscious for more than a few minutes at a time, and he could hardly move. With Professor Slughorn's help, she had managed to figure out that whatever the poison was that was on the dagger used on Severus, it had been based on Nagini's venom. That frightened her.

_If the Carrows had access to such a poison_, she thought, putting the graded essay on the 'done' pile', and starting on the next,_ who's to say there isn't more out there…and the effect it had on Severus! It will be at least a month until he might be able to come home._

_The Carrows didn't have two brain cells to rub together._

_Who gave them that poison?_

A knock on the open door interrupted her thoughts. Looking up, she saw Minerva and Professor Slughorn in the doorway of the DADA classroom.

"Time for lunch, dear." Minerva said, smiling at her gently.

"I'm almost done, Headmistress." Ana sighed, the quill scratching on the parchment as she made her final remarks. The student hadn't made many errors; in fact, the essay was one of the best in the class, with the only red ink on it noting a perfect score.

"Looks like a good essay," remarked the Headmistress, glancing over the last one she had graded. "Miss Weasley? Interesting."

"Yes, she's doing very well in DADA." Ana said, not without some small measure of pride in her voice. "Miss Weasley seems to have quite an aptitude for defensive spells. Not so much for offensive, but we're working on that part. She actually gave me an idea for improving the _Protego_ spell. I haven't figured out the exact changes that need to be made in the wand movement-they're very subtle, but it could be a remarkable improvement once we get the Arithmancy worked out."

"Impressive work."

"It's not all my work." Ana admitted. "I've already told Miss Weasley that I plan to give her credit if I publish a paper on it, as a research assistant."

"I imagine that made her very happy." Minerva smiled.

"Indeed."

"Well, shall we head to the Great Hall?" Professor Slughorn said, raising his eyebrows impatiently. "I'm about to starve, ladies. Been a long day teaching potions, with no afternoon tea."

"Of course, Professor." Ana smirked, wiping her quill and capping her inkwell. "I'm a bit hungry too."

"I assume that you'll be in the Hospital wing during your planning period today?" Minerva said to Ana as they walked toward the Great Hall, Ivan soaring past them.

"Yes, unless you need me."

"No, dear." Minerva smiled, taking Ana's arm as they walked. "You need some time with him."

oOo

"Hello, darling." Ana said, smiling at Severus as she walked over to his bed. He smiled back at her, struggling to lift his arm to touch her hand, then frowned, unable to lift it more than a few inches off the bed. She took his hand, squeezing it gently.

"Don't be so frustrated, Severus." She said, leaning over to kiss him.

"Poppy says it will be a while until you can move much at all." Ana continued, perching on the bed next to him. "Professor Slughorn and I are still analyzing the poison, trying to come up with an antidote, but its slow going. It may be that we'll just have to let it wear off, much as I dislike that."

He nodded his head slightly, and then closed his eyes with a sigh.

_He's so weak_, Ana thought sadly, watching him breathe. _He can hardly stay awake, even now._

_But at least, he's not dying. Thank Merlin for that._

oOo

After classes ended for the term in May, Ana moved into Severus' hospital room, over the protests of Poppy Pomphrey. She simply showed up the day after the leaving feast, after all of the students had left, and transfigured one of the Hospital wing chairs into a single bed. It was easier than constantly walking back and forth between the Severus' quarters in the dungeons and the Hospital wing. She felt exhausted most of the time these days, and climbing only a few flights of stairs left her breathless.

Severus had improved to the point that he could stay awake as long as an hour, sometimes two, but he was still frightfully weak. Ana had widened his bed, something that still annoyed Poppy to no end, but she was more comfortable lying down next to Severus, as it tended to take the pressure of the baby off her bladder. Thus she spent her days with her head pillowed on his arm, reading to him from Potions Monthly, or The Daily Prophet, or occasionally from books from his library.

Since he could barely speak above a whisper, she found it easier to communicate with him by just dropping her Occulmency shields and allowing him access to her thoughts. Though he never completely opened his mind to her, she didn't mind, as she wasn't showing him everything, either. Most of the time, the mental communication was limited by his strength, so it usually was comprised of quick requests that she bring a certain book to read the next day, and the like.

"Anything you'd like me to get you from your bookshelf, or the library?" Ana asked one afternoon.

"_Beckam's Collected Writings on Toxins and Poisons, volume…hmm."_ She heard faintly within her mind. _"Volume three, I think. We didn't really find anything helpful in the first two volumes, but I remember seeing something about using snake venoms in an application poison."_

Ana sat up in the bed, an odd expression on her face.

"_Are you alright?"_ Severus asked through their 'connection.'

"Yes…I think I am." She said, absently running her hand over her tummy. "I felt…something. Like a flutter."

With an effort, he rolled over on his side, toward her, reaching out to her. She took his hand and gently placed it on the bulge in her tummy, shivering at his touch. Carefully, he stroked the bump with his slender fingers, causing Ana to close her eyes in pleasure. Unexpectedly, warmth surged through her lower abdomen.

_Oh, Merlin._ She thought, biting her lip. _I want him so bad right now…but we can't do that here. We'll get caught for sure._

It was tempting to ward the door and ravish him, but good sense prevailed, for now.

oOo

The next day, she went to see Poppy for her checkup, as she did monthly. The medi-witch was very pleased with the baby's growth, though she was annoyed with Ana for not eating enough giving her some supplemental nutrition potions, as well as some oddly scented cream in a small jar.

"What's this?" Ana said, taking the lid off the jar and sniffing it cautiously. "Hmm…aloe, lanolin, fairy moss…"

"It's to help with stretch marks, Ana." Poppy replied, jotting down a note on her records. "Just rub it into your skin, it will help."

"Poppy," Ana sighed, a bitter smile flitting across her face, "With my burns, what are a few stretch marks?"

Poppy sighed, then nodded.

"Poppy," Ana said casually, though she felt herself blushing, "Is Severus…well enough that we…well, um…could we…?"

"Probably not yet, Ana." Poppy said, chuckling. "I can certainly understand your frustration, but he's just not strong enough yet…for that. Use good judgment and ward the door, if you insist on trying. Just don't push him too hard."

Taking the jar with her anyway, at Poppy's insistence, she slowly walked back to Severus' room. She had to stop three times along the way, short of breath. Twice she just leaned on the window sill, looking out at the green forest north of the castle, and that was enough. But the third time, she had to transfigure a stool to sit on from a thimble that she happened to have in her pocket.

_Gods, I don't think I have the stamina for sex. I'd probably pass out before I even had an orgasm._

For a long moment, she rested on the stool, rubbing her aching back.

_He can have the next one_, she thought irritably.

oOo

Author's notes-

"Я здесь, дорогая. Пожалуйста, выздоравливай скорее, я очень по тебе скучаю." = " I'm here, darling. Please get well soon, I miss you so much."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 15

_1 June 1999_

_Dear Miss Weasley,_

_As per our conversation before you graduated, I have spoken with Headmistress McGonagall and secured approval and funding for our project. I would like to meet with you at your earliest convenience to discuss terms of the apprenticeship we would like to offer you._

_Sincerely,_

_Dr. Anastasiya M.I. Romanov, P.M., OoM(Second Class)_

Rolling the parchment into a tube, she called Ivan over and secured it to his leg. Stroking his head gently and crooning to him in Russian, she opened the window and let the owl fly out, walking slowly back to her desk. Her back hurt, her hips hurt, and her ankles and knees ached terribly.

_And I have to go to the loo_, she sighed. _Yet again. I just went, what, 20 minutes ago?_

_Sixteen weeks to go…I don't know if I'll make it._

She went to the loo, glad that she'd modified the DADA classroom to match the Potions classroom, with a discreetly concealed bathroom. She washed and dried her hands, then went back to her classroom.

_Well, everything is done, at least for now._ She set a bag, loaded with books, to floating just behind her and walked out into the corridor, heading for the Hospital wing.

_At least he's strong enough to talk now, thank Merlin._

As she walked into the Hospital wing itself, she quickened her pace, hearing a familiar voice. Turning the corner, she walked into Poppy's office.

"Sir Petto!" Ana exclaimed in delight, walking over to hug the older gentleman. "What a surprise!"

Rising from his chair, the old wizard hugged her carefully.

"Look at you!" He beamed, spreading his arms wide and bowing like he was at court. "So lovely! Motherhood becomes you, my dear girl."

"Oh, stop it." Ana blushed furiously, unable to keep a smile from her face. "What brings you to Hogwarts? I thought you would be vacationing now, somewhere in Bermuda or Nepal."

"I finally got free so I could come by to tune up your arm, dear." Sir Petto said with a sigh. "I've been terribly, terribly busy this year. No time for vacations. So much to do, so many things to work on."

"Sir Petto has Severus' wheelchair ready for him to use again," Poppy interjected, once Sir Petto paused to take a breath. "I think I can send him home with you soon, won't that be lovely?"

"Oh! Yes, it would." Ana said, her heart caught in her throat. "It would be wonderful to have him back with me down in the dungeons."

"Well, it would certainly cut down on your walking."

"It would." Ana nodded.

"Well, let's have a look at your arm, dear." Sir Petto said, opening his tool box and waving Ana to a chair. Poppy helped Ana remove her robes and shirt, then excused herself to go check on Severus.

"Ah, I see one problem," the old wizard said softly, donning his reading glasses and picking up a screwdriver. "This cable, it's a bit frayed, damaged somehow…"

"That's probably where Alecto stabbed me," Ana said, the smile leaving her face completely, replaced by a worried frown. "Do be careful, Sir Petto. There may still be some of the poison on the inner parts of my prosthesis. It's fairly tenacious; a viscous coating that is a bit like varnish that isn't fully dried."

"Indeed…thank you for warning me, dear." He replied, removing a set of soft dragonhide gloves and donning them. "After seeing Severus this morning, I'm fairly certain I want nothing to do with the nasty stuff. Do you mind if I remove your arm so I can work on it easier?"

"Of course not." She said, extending her prosthesis to him to allow its easy removal. "How…how was Severus when you went by his room? I haven't seen him since this morning, since I've been working on curriculum for the DADA classes this fall."

"Well, I imagine he's about the same as he was when you left him this morning." Sir Petto chuckled. "I left him a book reader that I made, turns the pages for the reader and supports the book at any angle by magic. While he did thank me for it, I believe he'd prefer that his lovely bride read to him."

Ana flushed deep scarlet, at a complete loss for words.

"Da…I…Sir Petto, I-" She finally choked out by the time he had removed her arm and placed it on his portable workbench.

"Oh, fret not, my dear." The old wizard said, busy with cleaning the sticky residue of the poison from her prosthesis. "It only takes six months for a common-law marriage to become officially recognized in the wizarding world. You and Severus have been living together for what, almost a year?"

"I…we've been together for a year in September, I think." Ana said, her cheeks still burning.

"Ana, you are the daughter that Millicent and I never had, Merlin rest her soul." Sir Petto said, setting down his screwdriver and taking his glasses off. "Whatever your relationship is with Severus, I heartily approve, and I'm sure she does too."

"I miss her…" Ana said softly.

oOo

"She's a sad case, Mrs. Petto." The Ministry social worker said, leafing through the papers as they walked down the hall. "Her…um, patron brought her to us after the Razins were murdered two years ago, quite a dreadful affair. She's only nine years old, and she's already seen far more death and destruction than any child should have to bear.

"She's not terribly friendly to strangers. She's very helpful with the other orphans; she often helps take care of them.

"As you know, her patron has asked that we place her with just any wizarding family, but that she is placed with someone who can protect her. The ministry is very concerned with her case, as for all intents and purposes, she's had not just one, but two attempts on her life."

Stopping before a door in the wizarding orphanage, she nodded to the Auror standing guard at the end of the hall, who gave a friendly nod in return.

"I assure you that both my husband and I can protect her quite well." The short, black haired woman with twinkling blue eyes said softly. "I spent twenty years in Magical Law Enforcement, and he does research for the same department, after he was injured while on duty as an Auror. Our house is unmappable, and has a multilayered defense system made up of both magical…"

She paused to shoot a quick glare at her husband, who only grinned sheepishly and attempted to smooth his unruly shock of reddish-blonde hair.

"…and muggle devices. It's the most secure house in Milan, I assure you."

"Well, I'm sure it's safe, but her patron-"

"Excuse me," Sir Petto said, "Why doesn't she live with this patron that you keep blathering on about? And just who is it?"

"I'm sorry, but that information is strictly classified." Huffed the social worker, then turned and knocked on the door.

"Come in." said someone inside.

She was sitting on the only chair in the room, her back to the window. Dressed neatly in a plain blue dress, starched white blouse, and sensible black shoes with white stockings, her chestnut hair neatly braided in a French braid, she watched the three adults enter the room. Silver-gray eyes regarded them warily. An old bruise, turned green and yellow, marred the left side of her pale face.

_Her eyes_, thought Millicent, speechless for now. _She's…seen things. Dreadful things, and she's only nine years old._

"Ana, this is Marcus and Millicent Petto." The social worker said softly, waving to them to sit on the bed.

"I suppose you want to adopt me." The little girl said flatly, her English heavily accented. Her eyes had turned hard and cold.

"Ana, they-"

"Excuse me," Millicent said carefully, "Is it alright if I just talk to her for a moment? Alone?"

"Well, that would be highly irregular-"frowned the social worker.

"Please? You can leave the door open, if you wish."

After a brief hesitation, the woman nodded, and walked out of the room.

"You too, Marcus." Millicent sighed.

"But-"

"You too." She said, a bit firmer this time.

Marcus Petto sighed, and then walked out into the hallway to wait with the social worker. Millicent turned back to the girl, who was still watching her closely, eyes dark with suspicion.

"Right, then." She began, looking at Ana. "I understand that you don't trust me. You don't know me.

"But I don't know you, either. So, I suggest we play a game."

Ana frowned, her brow furrowing.

"What kind of game?" She asked warily.

"You ask me a question, about anything." Millicent explained patiently. "I answer, and then I get to ask you a question. If one of us doesn't want to answer a question, then we just say 'I pass.' But, if we pass, we get another question."

"Seems like a dumb game." Ana scowled, crossing her thin arms across her chest. "How do we keep score?"

"I have some parchment, and a quill, with ink." Millicent said, taking the items out of her purse and putting them on the small desk. "If we can answer the question that we're asked, we get one point. Can you keep score?"

"How do you know I won't cheat?"

"I know you won't."

"Then you're stupid."

"Perhaps." Millicent smiled. "But I don't believe you would cheat. You have honest eyes."

Ana made a rude sound, and then picked up the quill, smoothing the soft plume with slender fingers.

"I get to ask first." She announced.

"All right. I'm ready." Millicent replied, setting her purse on the bed.

"Why don't you have children? Is something wrong with you?"

_Oh, my_, Millicent thought. _She's a sharp one. Right for the jugular._

"That's two questions, but I'll answer them anyway." She sighed. "First, I did have a child, but he's…gone."

"Gone? What do you mean?" Ana frowned.

"He died last year, in Prague. Nathan…he was twenty-five years old."

"How did he die? Was he sick?"

Millicent smiled faintly. _She's forgotten all about the game._

"He was an Auror, like the man in the hall who keeps you and the other children safe. He was in a scrap with some Death Eaters…well, he…"

"His name is Ben." Ana said, twirling the quill in her fingers. "He's nice. Nicer than Joffery."

"Who is?"

"Ben. That's the name of the man in the hall who keeps us safe." Ana said, biting her lip. "He always has peppermints while he's on duty. He always gives me some."

"Oh, I understand." Millicent chuckled. "Silly me. Anyway, I'm too old to have children now. They tell me it might be dangerous to my health."

"Okay, that's a point." Ana announced, making a mark on the parchment.

"But that was two questions, wasn't it?" Millicent said quietly.

Ana frowned.

"You're right." She said, making another mark, then looking over at Mrs. Petto soberly. "I'm not cheating."

"I know you aren't. My turn."

Ana leaned forward in her chair, intently staring at the older woman.

"What is your favorite food?" Millicent asked, smiling.

"That's easy. Пирожок." Ana said cheerfully, swinging her legs idly. "I like them best with fruit filling, especially peaches or cherries. But I can't have them here. Nobody knows how to make them."

"Um…you mean piroszhki, right?" Millicent said hesitantly. "The little buns with a filling?"

"Yes, Пирожок. Um…do you speak…Russian?" Ana said shyly.

"No, I'm afraid I don't. Just English, French, Italian, and German. But I do like to cook, and I know what pirozshki are. Marcus likes them, too."

"I get two points, and we're tied now." Ana smirked, then her face became serious as she toyed with the quill, pursing her lips. After a moment, she looked up at Millicent.

"If I lived with you…" she said, suddenly blushing and looking at her feet, "would you make some пирожок, um, I mean, some pirozshki for me? I…I promise I'll be really good. I swear it."

At that moment, Millicent Petto felt her heart break, tears welling in her eyes. _Whatever it takes, she's coming home with me_, she thought.

"Of course I would, darling." She said softly. "Would you like me to teach you how to make them?"

Her eyes dark and wide, Ana just nodded her head.

In the hallway, Sir Marcus Petto grinned at the social worker.

"She…I can't believe it. She's never talked that much to anyone." The young woman said, shocked.

"Ah, that's my Millicent." He said cheerfully. "Talk to anyone, she can. I'm painfully shy compared to her."

oOo

"Ana? Are you alright, dear?"

She blinked, coming out of her reverie.

"I…I'm sorry, Daddy." She said, blushing. "I was just thinking about mum. I miss her."

"I miss her too, Merlin bless her." He sighed, patting her hand. "That reminds me, when are you going to cook for me again?"

"Pirozhki?" Ana teased.

"Well, that would be nice, but anything will do." Sir Petto laughed. "Anything to avoid my own cooking. Here, let's get this arm of yours back on and adjusted."

With his help, Ana slid the arm back into its metal socket on her shoulder, wincing slightly at the shock as the contacts magically reconnected with her own nerve endings.

"Never do get used to that part, do you now?" He said gently, unlocking the pivot and restoring control of the arm to her.

"No." She sighed.

"How are things going between you and Severus?" Her stepfather said, helping her put her blouse back on.

"Good, all things considered." Ana said, "At least, they were until he got attacked by the Carrows."

"He's a good man, Severus is, always has been." Sir Petto said, picking up a tiny screwdriver to make a fine adjustment to her hand, turning a few screws.

"You never said you knew him before this." Ana said, frowning.

"Um, just by his reputation as a Potions Master, dear. He's quite well known."

"But I've spoken with many people who know him due to that, and they aren't nearly so kind with their opinion."

"I, well…let's get this arm adjusted, shall we? Make a fist; now open it…good, good. Now supinate…pronate…"

Ana opened and closed her hand, then rotated the entire arm from the elbow down, her eyes steady on those of her stepfather.

"Daddy, what are you not telling me?" She said quietly. He looked over at her nervously.

"Severus was my mysterious 'patron', wasn't he?" Ana said, beginning to feel a bit ill. "The person who had to approve of my being adopted by you and mum, who sent money to my account at Durmstang, who made sure my inheritance was secure…"

"No, he wasn't, dear." He answered with a sigh. "I suppose I can tell you who that was; now that he's no longer with us. Your 'patron' was Albus Dumbledore."

Ana's mouth fell open, her eyes wide.

"I…"

"Severus rescued you, yes, and took you to the Razin's house. He did all of that." Sir Petto continued, his voice soft and gentle. "By the time the Death Eaters murdered them, Severus was…too deeply involved with the Dark Lord, and his movements were being closely watched. So he asked Albus to take care of you, to see you to safety.

"I expect…that he never expected to see you ever again after that." He sighed. "Of course, then you started school at Durmstang, and started collecting those Chocolate Frog cards…"

"Oh, don't remind me." Ana sighed, finally getting over her shock. "I'm still finding them in books that I have from school. I used to use them as bookmarks."

"Yes, I find them around the house myself, mostly in the library. That reminds me, what do you want me to do with all of those Young Witch magazines you have at the house in your old room?"

Ana made a stifled groan as she blushed furiously.

"Oh, Merlin!" She sputtered, hiding behind her hands. "I'd forgotten about those trashy things. Just burn them, and don't you dare utter a word about it to anyone!"

Sir Petto chuckled, and then gave her a hug.

oOo

Two weeks later, Poppy finally pronounced Severus fit enough to leave the Hospital wing; he took it with his usual good grace.

"Goodbye, Poppy." Severus sneered, as Ana wheeled him out, "I have spent entirely too much of the past year in your gentle care, being poked and prodded. Perhaps I will be able to get a full night's rest now, without someone waking me to see if I require a sleeping potion."

"Come see us any time, Severus." Poppy chuckled, unperturbed by the scathing glare he shot at her over his shoulder.

"Be nice." Ana scolded him, without much heat to it.

"Bah."

"Meanie." She smirked, rolling the wheelchair around the corner. Quickly casting a Notice-me-not charm, she slid into his lap and kissed him passionately.

"I've missed you so much." She sighed when she finally broke the kiss.

"I get that impression." He smirked, and then kissed her gently. "How are you faring today? You look tired."

"I stay tired, Severus." She said, resting her head on his shoulder. "I get cold at night, and there's nobody to rub my feet when they get swollen."

"How pitiful." He replied softly, rubbing her back. "I can tell that I have much lost time to make up for when we get back to our quarters."

"Just a moment…down just a bit…to the right." Ana sighed, relaxing as his slender fingers found the spot. "Oh, yes, that's it."

"Better?"

"Oh, yes." She smiled. "I might forgive you for the whole baby thing yet. If you'll agree to have the next one."

"What?"

"Never mind. Just a joke." She smirked.

oOo

Author's notes-

Пирожок = Pirozhki, buns with a filling, usually meat, vegetables, or fruit, that are fried or baked. They're delicious!


	5. Chapter 16 to 20

Chapter 16

July 1, 1999~

She woke up in the early hours of the morning, needing to go to the loo.

_Twelve weeks to go_, Ana thought idly as she pulled on her bathrobe and padded on bare feet to the bathroom. _Twelve weeks, and maybe my life will return to some sort of normal. Twelve weeks, and maybe I won't be so horny all the time…_

She smiled to herself ruefully. _In twelve weeks, I imagine I will be too busy for much of that, unless we can prevail on the house elves to baby-sit._

She walked back into the bedroom, squinting at the Muggle alarm clock on Severus' side of the bed. Five in the morning. Ana yawned, and walked around to her side, taking off her bathrobe and tossing it across the foot of the bed. She'd taken to sleeping nude or just in panties, mainly because she couldn't stand it when her nightgowns got twisted around her. Sliding under the covers, she curled herself up next to Severus, sliding her hand down his chest.

"Can I help you?" He sighed wearily.

"Maybe…" She purred, tracing his navel with her finger.

"You're insatiable, witch."

"But I've missed you so much…"

"Yes, and you've reminded me of that every night." He said, rolling over on his side to face her.

"Did you sleep well? I slept great." She smiled, looking at him hungrily.

"Ana, I-"

"Shush." She said, pushing him onto his back and lowering her lips to his neck as she straddled his waist.

oOo

Severus frowned as he walked into the Potions classroom, headed for their rooms. He could hear Ana, laughing and talking within. Curious, he walked into their sitting room to find Ana reclining on the couch, a book in her hands.

"Who are you talking to?" He said, feeling a bit foolish.

"Daddy's home!" Ana smiled, gently rubbing her belly. Then she winced. "Ouch! Not so rough, now. I guess she's glad you've returned. She usually gets more active when she hears you."

"I…I see."

"Look, Severus," She said, pointing to a box of children's books, "Minerva and Poppy brought these for the baby. They're a nice mix of Wizarding and Muggle books. I've read three to her while you were gone for your meeting with the Headmistress. I think she liked Winnie the Pooh best."

He sat down in his armchair, feeling a bit overwhelmed.

"Oh, and Poppy and the Headmistress are coming down tomorrow to help me remodel my old rooms into a private potions lab and a new study for you. You'll love it, just wait! It will have nearly double the shelf space for books, and-"

"Ana, I already have a study, next to our bedroom…" He began, then realization hit home. _Surely she wouldn't…_

"Oh, silly, we're going to remodel that into a nursery." Ana went on, putting a book mark in the book in her hands and setting it aside. A bookmark that looked for the entire world like a tattered old Chocolate Frog card.

oOo

A few nights later, Severus was lying in bed, wide awake. Ana slept peacefully beside him, her breath ebbing and flowing like waves on the sea. She was exhausted, having spent the day 'remodeling' while he hid in his study. He'd stayed up late, doing research on some of the topics he planned to cover in the fall term DADA classes. When he had gotten into bed, she had huffed angrily and turned on her side, her back to him.

He sighed.

_I shouldn't have said what I did._ He thought, running it through his mind. _What harm was there in her turning my study into a nursery? It makes perfect sense._

She shifted slightly in her sleep, mumbling under her breath something barely audible.

He rolled on his side, spooning up to her, his hand finding its way around her to rest lightly on her belly protectively.

"I'm sorry." He whispered into her hair; feeling her stiffen slightly, then relax, as she woke up.

"I'm still angry with you." She whispered back, her voice husky with sleep.

"I know." He sighed, "And you have every right to be angry with me. I was unreasonable, and I apologize."

She was silent.

"Ana, I'm not very good at any of this. I-"

"Shush." She said quietly, interlacing her fingers with his over their unborn daughter. "I know that. That's why I'll forgive you."

"Besides," She sighed, snuggling herself back into his warmth, "I should have asked you about it first. I just got a bit carried away."

oOo

A few nights later, she woke up again when her child gave a particularly vigorous kick. Ana sleepily sighed, but didn't move. Severus was curled into a ball, his head nearly touching her belly. She smiled and closed her eyes, all ready to allow herself to drift back off to sleep when she realized what had awakened her.

Severus was talking to the baby, his voice soft and low.

"…never thought I could feel like this, about someone I've never met. In a sense, it's almost as if I've been reborn, given a second chance to love."

Ana realized that she was holding her breath, and made a conscious effort to relax and breathe normally.

"I hope you don't take after your mother, though you probably will." He sighed. "She can be so stubborn when she makes up her mind to do something. Never even asked me if she could turn my study into a nursery…but I could hardly refuse her. I could not refuse her anything."

_He's so intent on talking to her that he doesn't even realize I'm awake_, she thought, making sure her Occulmency shields were in place anyway.

"A week ago, I went to Gringott's, and got your Grandmother Eileen's ring from my vault. I…just can't seem to find the right time, or the right words. It seems so pointless now, as you'll be with us in a few months. I suppose it doesn't matter, but I want to do the right thing. I want to ask your mother to marry me.

"I…am a coward. I should have asked her months ago. She'd probably think I only want to marry her because of you, but that's not so. I only want her, nobody else. I can finally move on with my life."

"I just wish I would have had the courage to do this years ago."

Ana lay still, biting her lip as she fought the tears.

oOo

"Minerva?"

The Headmistress turned, and then walked over to Ana in the garden.

"It was a bit difficult to find you out here, dear." Minerva said, sitting down next to Ana on the stone bench near the fountain. "You said in your owl that you wanted to talk to me?"

"Yes, I do." Ana said, casting a Notice-me-not charm, as well as Muffilato. Now anyone who came near would not hear anything but buzzing, even if they did get close.

"I need to talk to you, to get some advice about Severus." The younger woman said.

"Oh, Merlin!" Minerva huffed, "What has he done now?"

"It's more what he hasn't done." Ana said. "I…overheard him talking to someone recently, about asking me to marry him. He's…unsure of himself, thinks I would refuse him."

"Well, you're practically married already, under Wizarding common law." Minerva pointed out.

"Yes, but you know how Severus is." Ana sighed. "He would want to make everything official, to make sure that the baby's birth is all legal. I think he's worried about my reputation."

"That's Severus, all right." The Headmistress looked sharply at her. "Do you want to marry him, Ana?"

"More than anything in the world." She answered honestly. "He…he's everything to me. I've spent most of the last ten years wishing I could be with him."

"Even though he's still reviled as a Death Eater? He's not very popular, you know."

"What do I care? I love him, and I know that he loves me." Ana said, huffing in anger.

Minerva smiled.

"So…with all this secrecy," She said, "I'm guessing that you want me to do something to help encourage him?"

"Girl to girl…" Ana said shyly, "If you don't mind…"

oOo

Midway through July, on the 15th, Ana was sitting at her desk in the Potions classroom, checking her inventory list to prepare to order supplies for the fall term. Intent on writing down how many pounds of flobberworms were needed, she failed to notice when Severus came in the room.

"Time to order supplies, I take it?" He said softly, causing her to squeak in surprise. _I wish he didn't move so quietly sometimes_, she thought irritably.

"Um, yes. We certainly used a lot of flobberworms for some reason last year."

He walked over to her and stood there silently, watching her write. After a moment, he sighed and reached down to deftly pluck the quill from her hand.

"Severus! What the-"

"I need to speak with you, Ana, and I require your full attention. The order can wait."

"I…" She began, and then her voice trailed off as he offered her his hand, lifting her to her feet. For a moment, he stood looking down at her intently. Ana gazed up at him, her gray eyes wide, her right hand resting protectively on her belly, over their unborn daughter.

Taking her right hand, he knelt in front of her, his black eyes never leaving her face.

"Anastasia Romanov," Severus said, his voice shaky, "Would you marry me?"

Her other hand flew to her mouth as she gasped in surprise, her knees nearly giving way.

"Severus…I…yes." She half-sobbed. "Yes, I'll marry you. Конечно, я выйду за тебя замуж! Ох ..."

Dropping to her knees, she clung tightly to him, weeping with joy, whispering endearments in both Russian and English.

oOo

Arrangements were quietly made, with the sole delay being that Sir Petto had gone on holiday in Ireland. The owl took a bit of time to find him.

Minerva stood in the Room of Requirement, watching Sir Petto escort Ana to where she and Severus stood, flanked by Ginny Weasley and Harry Potter. She frowned at Severus, as he was looking intently at an empty space in the pews next to Argus Filch, his lips pursed in concentration.

_Merlin, I hope he doesn't see through the Disillusionment spell,_ Minerva sighed to herself. _The last thing we need today is for him to have another row with her, on his wedding day, of all things._

"Who gives this woman in marriage, to be bound today?" The Headmistress asked.

"Her late mother and I." Sir Petto said, dabbing at a stray tear with his hanky. He squeezed Ana's hand affectionately, and then passed it to Severus. Before he turned to sit down, he actually patted Severus on the shoulder affectionately.

Someone blew their nose, and loudly.

"Hagrid, really!" Poppy sighed with mild disgust. She glanced over at the disillusioned guest, relieved that Severus was distracted, giving them a brief smile and nod.

Harry Potter moved to stand to the right of Severus, and Ginny Weasely stood on the left of Ana. Ginny took a moment to straighten the long train of the light green wedding dress that her former professor wore, patting her on the shoulder comfortingly.

"You look beautiful, Professor." Ginny whispered.

"Dear friends," Minerva said, "we are gathered here together today to witness the union of two people who have elected to unite in matrimony under Wizarding law.

"Severus Tobias Snape, gaze upon your bride, Anastasiya Mariya Izabella Romanov, and take her by her hands."

After they had done so, Minerva continued.

"Severus, repeat after me: I, Severus, take thee, Ana, to be my lawful wedded Wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part."

"I, Severus," Severus said, his voice shaky, "…take thee, Ana, to be my lawful wedded Wife, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part."

"Ana," Minerva smiled, "Repeat after me: I, Ana, take thee, Severus, to be my lawful wedded Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part."

Tears streaming down her cheeks, Ana looked up at Severus, her hands trembling in his.

"I, Ana, take thee, Severus," She paused, blinking away some of her tears, "to be my lawful wedded Husband, to have and to hold from this day forward, for better for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish, till death us do part."

"The rings, if you please, Mr. Potter." Said the Headmistress. Harry produced them, handing two white gold bands to her.

"This represents eternal love and devotion, a bond that cannot be sundered, according to Wizarding law." Minerva announced, handing one ring to Severus, and one to Ana.

"Place the rings on the left finger of your beloved, closest to the heart, and repeat after me:

"With this Ring I thee wed, with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow, until the end of our time."

"With this Ring I thee wed," Severus said, his black eyes locked to Ana's gray ones, "with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow, until the end of our time."

Ana was so nervous, she nearly dropped the ring.

"W-with this Ring I thee wed," she said, her voice barely above a whisper, "with my body I thee worship, and with all my worldly goods I thee endow, until the end of our time."

"Face me." Minerva said, barely able to keep up her serious front, she was so happy.

"Let no man sunder what we have joined together. Severus, you may kiss your bride."

The kiss was gentle and far too brief for both of them.

"Now, if you will face the guests?" Minerva said, waiting until Severus and Ana had turned around, and Ginny had straightened the train on Ana's dress.

"May I present to you Mr. and Mrs. Severus Snape." The Headmistress said, as the staff in attendance stood and began to applaud the new couple.

A flashbulb popped, dazzling them.

oOo

_July 19, 1999_

_Infamous Former Death Eater ties the knot!_

_An exclusive by Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet columnist and reporter_

'_Reformed' Death Eater and Hogwarts Potions Professor Severus Snape was married in a hush-hush private ceremony on Saturday, to the lovely and very mysterious new Potions professor who is his replacement. The bride has been identified as famous Beauxbartons war heroine Dr. Anastasiya Romanov. Readers probably remember her best for the body count that she racked up during the awful attack on the Beauxbarton's girls' dormitories, as well as her being horribly maimed in the incident, tragically losing her arm._

_While this reporter was not able to take any photographs, she was able to ascertain with her own eyes that the new bride was well along in the motherly way. This begs the question: Was Snape forced to marry lest he shame the noble Romanov name? The Daily Prophet has made inquiries to the Russian Wizarding community, as well as Beauxbartons, seeking insight as how this event has come to pass._

_Staff at Hogwarts have speculated to this reporter that as there have been no successful applicants for the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, and that Severus Snape may have been chosen to fill that role. While his experience as a Death Eater certainly makes him quite knowledgeable of the Dark Arts, could he truly be suitable to teach children how to protect themselves against such vile wizardry?_

_Curiously, the bride was given away by Sir Marcus G. Petto, who is well known throughout the Wizarding world as an expert in several fields, notably medical research, prosthetics, and related magic. Given that Dr. Romanov was orphaned at an early age by a vicious Death Eater attack, this sheds a bit more light on the generosity and good deeds that Sir Petto is so well known for._

_Due to an ugly incident at the wedding wherein Daily Prophet property was damaged by a vicious attack, charges may be filed to recover damages._

"Лежа сука! I'll kill her. How dare she write such lies about you!" Ana growled, carefully tearing the article from the paper and proceeding to shred it into tiny bits, tossing the scraps into the fireplace. "Я сломаю каждый из ее пальцев, и засунуть что перо из ее до ее-"

"Temper, dear. Think of the baby." Severus said calmly, barely keeping a smirk from his face.

_It was certainly worth it to see her destroy that photographer's magical camera_, He thought fondly. _Those aren't cheap._

It had taken both Harry Potter and himself to pull a furious Ana off Rita Skeeter, with Severus quickly disarming Ana, taking her wand from her hand as she pushed it into the reporter's throat. Only when his new bride fainted, overcome by the stress, did he feel that there would not be a murder on his wedding day.

At least the ugly incident had caused Hagrid to stop his incessant blubbering into his hanky. The half-giant had been more than happy to escort a furious Rita and her hapless photographer from the premises, blood dripping from the photographer's broken nose. Severus didn't care; he had been more concerned about his wife, watching anxiously as Poppy examined her. Finally the Medi-witch had stood up.

"Both of them are fine, Severus." Poppy had chuckled, "you can start breathing again now."

He'd glanced over where he'd seen the unknown guest, obviously under a well-cast disillusionment spell, but they were gone, having left in the confusion following Rita Skeeter's ejection. He had his suspicions who it had been, but it didn't matter. As long as they didn't cause a scene, or talk to him, he was satisfied.

Now, he sighed, looking over at his wife, who was now sulking on the couch, twirling a stray strand of hair around her finger as she watched the scraps of newspaper burn.

"Do you need anything? Some water?" He said, rising to go to the small kitchenette she had installed when she had remodeled their quarters.

"I'm not an invalid, Severus. I'm just pregnant." She sighed, putting her feet up on the couch.

"Noted." He smirked. "Actually, I thought I might put the kettle on."

"Do we still have any of the chamomile tea? I'd adore you forever if you made me a cup."

"Certainly." He leaned down to kiss her, and then went to make the tea.

"Oh, and ask the house elf to bring some pickles."

He grimaced, not wanting to know what she planned to eat them with.

oOo

In a small coffee shop in Salamanca, Spain, a dark haired man with cruel features was browsing through The Daily Prophet as he sipped his espresso. When he got to the short article on Severus' wedding, he set his cup down, reading it intently.

"So…he is alive." Mused Antonin Dolohov, idly stroking the scar that ran down the right side of his face. "Perhaps this is my chance…убить одним выстрелом двух зайцев."

oOo

Author's notes-

"Конечно, я выйду за тебя замуж! Ох ..." =" Of course I'll marry you! Oh..."

"Лежа сука!" = "Lying bitch!"

"Я сломаю каждый из ее пальцев, и засунуть что перо из ее до ее-" = "I'll break every one of her fingers, and shove that quill of hers up her-"

"убить одним выстрелом двух зайцев." = "kill two hares with one shot." The Russian equivalent to "kill two birds with one stone."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 17

August 1, 1999~

_Eight weeks to go_, she thought as she lay awake in the dark bedroom. Glancing at the alarm clock, she saw that it was only two in the morning. Angrily plumping her pillow, she rolled over on her right side. Wriggling in the bed, she fought to get comfortable.

_Merlin, I'm miserable_, she thought. _Up late working on my lesson plans for this fall after a late supper, and right now my daughter is using my bladder as a punching bag._

Ana rolled over to her left side, and Severus sighed. He couldn't sleep either, given how restless she was.

"Can I get you anything?" He asked patiently. "Do you need another pillow?"

"No!" She fumed irritably, rolling onto her back. "Maybe. I don't know what I need."

"I can't help you if you don't know what you want." He said cautiously, knowing full well he was treading on thin ice.

"I said, I DON'T KNOW!" Ana shouted, causing bluish-white sparks of magical energy to glow around her. "Если я не знаю, я не могу сказать вам! Глупо, невежественный человек!"

"I'm just trying to help." He sighed, rubbing his eyes.

"Well, just go sleep on the couch, then!" She snapped, glaring at him.

With a sigh, Severus got out of the bed, picking up his wand and walking out of their bedroom, closing the door softly behind him. He paused when he heard glass breaking on the other side of the door, but decided it would be wisest not to investigate.

_She's already angry enough with me_, he thought._ No point in antagonizing her further._

oOo

September 1, 1999~

Ana leaned against the cool stone wall, catching her breath.

_Well, I made it farther this morning than I did yesterday before having to stop_, she mused. _I guess this is one benefit of the baby 'dropping', as Poppy put it._

_Oh, Merlin, my back hurts._

_Four weeks till my due date. Twenty-eight days. I don't know if I'll make it._

_I don't know if Severus will make it. I may hex him before this is over with._

She sighed deeply, leaning against the cool stone wall.

_He's trying to help_, she thought. _I can't help getting irritated, but I should try harder not to take it out on him so much._

Both of them were exhausted these days. Despite her moodiness, Severus was patient and kind, attending to her every need even when she was grumpy. Ana felt guilty, but she had to admit that he was attending to her very well, even though she was positively hateful to him at times.

"I can make it to the loo on my own, I think!" She had snapped at him one night. Not because she was angry with him; she was just irritable in general, and dreaded the onset of the fall term.

Having to go to the loo every few hours was the most irritating part; she felt as if her bladder had shrunk to the size of a thimble. It didn't help that little Nina, as she had come to think of her baby girl, was a night owl and often decided that anywhere between one and three a.m. was the ideal time to begin tap dancing on mum's bladder.

Coming out of her reverie with a sigh, she began walking-she felt more as if she were waddling-toward the Great Hall. Even in her 'delicate condition' (a phrase Professor Flitwick had once used in conversation with her at the staff table-only once, after she had thoroughly singed his ears with stern lecture in English, Russian, and Latin, to the bemusement of several members of staff), she made it a point to go to breakfast at the very least. It wouldn't be possible at all if the castle didn't accommodate her in her journey, the stairs shifting to give her the most direct path to the Great Hall from the dungeons.

_I wish I could just sleep for longer than a few hours a night_, she sighed to herself as she walked.

Severus had been sent to the station to collect the new students with Hagrid, which added to her unease. Minerva had assured her that it was perfectly safe, that Hagrid and Severus together were in no danger. Indeed, it had been months since that nasty business with the Carrows, but most of the staff seemed to have forgotten all about it.

_Not me_, she thought grimly. _I will stay alert, stay on my guard. I've worked too hard, waited too long, to have this happiness with my husband._

_My husband._ She smiled for a moment. _I sure do like the ring of that, even though it's been officially so for not yet two months._

_Even though he probably thinks I hate him right now_, she sighed. _'Be patient and forgiving', the Headmistress told me long ago. I need to remember that…he's certainly been patient and forgiving with me._

oOo

September 15, 1999, 2:00 p.m. ~

"Go to the storeroom and get the following ingredients: aloe, janisroot, and Sommleor de menthe leaves," Ana said to the class of first years, writing it out on the board, then proceeding to write the first day's assignments. "Today we will be learning a simple ointment commonly used for relief of sunburn-"

The pain hit, low in her abdomen. She closed her eyes, gritting her teeth as she waited for it to pass.

_Oh, no. It's too soon. It couldn't be…_

She paused, taking a step toward her desk to lean heavily on it, beads of sweat springing up on her brow. Her shocked students gaped at her. Finally, it passed and she blew out a sigh of relief.

_False alarm_, she told herself, with a confidence that she didn't really feel. _My due date isn't for two weeks yet. Just a false contraction, right?_

"What are you staring at?" She snapped, glaring at her students. "Get to work!"

She sat down at her desk, picking up her quill and writing attendance in her grade book, looking up every so often to make sure the first years were working on their assigned potion.

Then it hit again, doubling her over her desk with an involuntary cry of pain, the quill falling from her hand, smearing ink across her grade book. The students looked at her nervously.

_I…oh, Merlin_, She thought, panic rising in her. _Gods protect my baby, it's too soon._

Scribbling a note on a piece of parchment, she tied it to Ivan's leg.

"Go find Severus." She said, turning the bird loose. He flew like an arrow through the open doorway into the hall.

Ana grabbed a baby slipper off her desk just as another contraction hit, driving her to her knees. Clutching the slipper to her chest, she struggled to get her wand out, her horrified students looking on.

_Oh, Merlin. Give me strength…protect my baby…._

"Class…dismissed." She gritted out through clenched teeth, touching her wand to the baby slipper and activating the portkey.

oOo

September 15, 1999, 8:50 p.m. ~

"Shoo, Severus." Poppy said irritably. "Go to the waiting room, get some rest. I'll take care of her. Being as this is her first, it could take a while."

He looked down at Ana, her fists knotted in the sheets, her eyes tight with pain as she suffered through another contraction. Then it was over with, his wife relaxing, sweat beading on her brow. Picking up a flannel from the washbasin next to the bed, he wiped her forehead and face gently, concern written all over his face.

"It…it's okay, Severus." Ana whispered hoarsely, faking a good smile for him. "Go to the waiting room, I'm fine. Really I am."

_Oh, Merlin_, she thought, looking up at him. He looked awful, his hair askew, eyes dark with concern, worry furrowing his brow. _I feel awful, but he is suffering, too._

"I…"

"Severus, I'll be fine," She said firmly, taking his hand and giving it a loving squeeze. "Shoo. Go get some rest. I'm not even dilated that much, it will be a while before the baby's born.

"Go on, now," She said, releasing his hand. "Get some rest; you'll need it later."

Numbly, he made his way out of the room, to the waiting room. Minerva looked up at him from her book. Ginny Weasley was asleep on the couch, curled up next to Harry Potter, her head resting against his shoulder. Hagrid was pacing up and down the length of the waiting room, causing both Professor Sprout and Filch to glare at him occasionally.

_I feel so helpless_, he thought, as he slumped into an armchair next to Minerva in the waiting room.

"How is she faring, Severus?" The Headmistress asked gently.

"She is very tired, Minerva." Severus sighed, rubbing his eyes. "It has been a long and difficult ordeal for her. I should be with her-"

"No, she'll be alright." Minerva said, patting his hand. "Poppy will take good care of her, and Midwife Spence is one of the best. She'll be fine, Severus. Stop fretting so much."

"If anything were to happen to her-"

"She'll be fine, Severus. Have faith."

Just past midnight, Severus started awake. _Dozed off again_, he sighed. _I know Ana must be exhausted; she's been at this for ten hours._

Suddenly, the quiet in the Hospital wing was shattered by the cry of a newborn, waking both Minerva and Hagrid. Severus jumped up and began to run.

She was red, wrinkled, with a head full of black hair, and very cross, wailing loudly. An assistant Healer was busily cleaning her off, diapering her, and wrapping her up in a warm blanket. It didn't help her mood much, as she continued her protests.

Ana turned her head, looking over at Severus standing in the doorway, and smiled dreamily.

"Hello, dear." She said, slurring her words slightly.

"I went ahead and gave her a pain potion, Severus," Poppy said, as she did a bit of healing, standing between Ana's legs, "along with a bit of Dreamless Sleep. She had a rough time of the delivery."

"Is she alright?" Severus asked, crossing the room to take Ana's hand.

"Oh, yes, she's fine. Just worn out, the poor dear."

The assistant healer brought the baby over to Poppy, who smiled and handed her to Severus.

He took her awkwardly, terrified that he might drop her. She was squirming, still fussing noisily.

"I…I…be still, would you!" He said, thoroughly flustered, blushing as he tried to correctly hold his daughter.

The baby hushed, looking up at him with wide gray eyes. For a moment, he was sure she would break out in another round of screaming.

Instead she just cooed a bit, and then gurgled, reaching up to grab his nose with her tiny hand.

"You need to put her to Ana's breast, if you can." Poppy said, lightly touching Severus on the arm. "She needs to nurse as soon as possible, to get the colostrum, so she can get the natural antibodies so she has some immunity."

Severus carried the baby over to the bed, and after Poppy uncovered Ana's breast, gently laid her in her mother's arms.

"Hmm?" Ana said sleepily, her arms instinctively coming up to cradle her baby, bringing her daughter's face up to her breast. At the brush of the nipple on her cheek, her daughter turned her head and latched on.

"Oh…ouch!" Ana winced, "Котенок, not so rough, darling…"

She slid her hand across the bed to Severus' hand, intertwining her fingers with his with a weary smile.

"We did it." She whispered, wincing again as her baby nursed.

"I feel as if I did nothing." He said, leaning down to kiss her on her forehead. "You did it all."

"You were here for me." Ana said, squeezing his hand gently. "I can do anything when you are with me, supporting me. I've always known I could depend on you."

For a long moment, he was silent.

"I love you." Severus said quietly. "I'll always be here for you."

Ana smiled.

"You said it first." She said with a contented sigh, squeezing his hand. "Usually I say it first."

"I know…I…" he swallowed, then sniffed. "It just seemed like the only thing I could say to express how I feel…right now. I feel…relieved…happy…"

"Me too."

For several minutes, Severus just watched, standing close by to help if needed. The only sound in the room was his daughter greedily nursing, and the two healers quietly cleaning up the room after the birth.

He felt absolutely emotionally drained, exhausted. He looked at his wife, her eyes barely open as their daughter nursed.

_Beautiful_, he thought. _There is no other way to describe them._

As he watched, both mother and daughter drifted off to sleep. When his daughter released her mother's nipple, she fussed a bit, but soon went back to sleep. Severus carefully moved the hospital gown to cover up Ana's breast, then, after a moment of hesitation, picked up his daughter.

"Shush, now." He said softly when she fussed a bit in her sleep. "Daddy has you, you're safe."

"Severus, we've set up a nursery in the next room." Poppy whispered softly, lightly touching him on the arm. "When the baby's asleep for sure, take her in there so mum can rest. She's worked hard tonight."

"She just finished nursing," he said, following Poppy out of the room. Minerva and the others were in the hall, but moved back so he could pass. Harry Potter was grinning like a fool; Ginny's eyes were sparkling with joy. Even grumpy old Argus Filch was smiling, showing the few teeth he had left. He felt Hagrid pat him gently on the back as he passed by.

"Congratulations, Professor Snape." Harry said.

Severus turned to look at Harry, and then nodded.

"If you will excuse me…" He said, "I need to put my daughter to bed."

He went into the room that had been converted into a nursery, where Poppy was waiting for him, having turned down the blanket in the crib. Severus gently laid his daughter in the crib, carefully covering her up with the blanket. He transfigured a flannel into a small teddy bear, charming it to alert him if she woke.

"That's a great idea, Severus." Poppy whispered. "Now, how about you visit with that bunch in the hall, send them home, and then get some rest? Ana may have done all the physical labor here, but you're exhausted."

He went out into the hallway, flinching slightly when Minerva took his arm, leading him gently to the waiting room. The rest of the 'bunch', as Poppy had referred to them, were already there, waiting for him to come meet with them. He endured about twenty minutes worth of being social, answering innumerable questions.

_No, we don't have a name picked out yet. We've talked about several, but haven't decided on one._

_Yes, Ana is fine. She's just very tired; it was a long and arduous process for her._

_Yes, thank you._

_No, Poppy isn't allowing any visitors. Besides, Ana's had a dose of Dreamless Sleep, so she's probably asleep now._

_Her eyes are gray, like Ana's, and she has my black hair. Ten fingers, ten toes. She is perfect. She is beautiful._

_Yes, I know, thank you._

He noticed that Poppy was at the doorway, watching the crowd press Severus with a look of disapproval on her face.

"Merlin's beard," She snapped, coming in to take Severus by the arm. "You lot need to go on, go to bed. Severus needs some rest before he collapses."

"Indeed," Minerva added. "I'm sure that if you come back in a week or so, it will be a much better visit. But as Poppy said, both parents-and their daughter-have earned some much-needed rest."

As the others shuffled out of the waiting room, Minerva stayed with Severus, guiding him to sit in a chair.

"Severus, I've arranged with Professor Slughorn to take care of Ana's Potions classes, and I've taken the liberty of canceling your DADA classes for a week. Will that be enough time for you to recover?"

"Yes, Minerva." He nodded. "I could teach tomorrow, if I could get a few hour's rest…"

"Hogwash." The Headmistress said curtly. "Your place, for now, is with your bride, the mother of your daughter. She'll want to see you in the morning, so I suggest you stay with her, in her room. You'll also be close enough if your daughter might need you. And Severus?"

"Yes?" He replied, nearly about to nod off in the armchair.

"Name her soon. We can't call her 'baby Snape' forever." Minerva smiled. "Congratulations, my boy. You deserve this."

"Daughters, I have heard, are difficult to raise." He smirked weakly. "As beloved as I am, this may be exactly what I deserve, indeed."

Minerva patted him on the arm, and then rose to leave.

"Get some rest, Severus."

oOo

Author's notes-

"Если я не знаю, я не могу сказать вам! Глупо, невежественный человек!" = "If I don't know, I can't tell you! Stupid, ignorant man!"

Котенок = "Kitten", an endearment often used for a daughter in Russian. Not as commonly used as other endearments, but Ana is rather old-fashioned.

Trivia: "Anastasiya" is derived from the Greek name "Anastasius", which means "resurrection"

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 18

September 16, 1999, 2:58 a.m. ~

She sat quietly in her study after Argus had left to attend to his nightly duties, watching the fire burn low in the fireplace. Though it was nearly three in the morning, she didn't feel sleepy at all. She didn't feel like going to bed.

_I want to go to see my grandchild_, she thought wistfully. _But Severus would never allow it. We haven't spoken in years, save for a few words at staff functions, or 'pass the salt, please' as the staff dinner table._

_We ignore each other as best we can. I never venture into his territory, the dungeons, and he rarely bothers to visit the library lest he encounter me._

_I am a stranger to my own son_, she thought sadly, watching the flames flicker in the coals.

oOo

20 September, 1999~

Ana was sitting by the window in the nursery room in the Hospital wing, nursing 'Nina', when she felt someone come into the room. Covering herself and the baby quickly with a blanket, she turned to see who dared disturb her, a wandless hex forming in her mind, ready to stun the intruder.

She didn't recognize the woman at first, though she did look familiar. She was tall, and appeared to be in her sixties, though as fair and smooth as her skin was, it was difficult to tell her true age. Dressed all in black, black hair in a neat bun, piercing dark eyes peering at her over a hook-shaped nose.

"I…pardon me; I did not realize you were…occupied." The woman said nervously, turning to leave. "Excuse me."

"Wait!" Ana said, realizing who the woman was. "You're the librarian, aren't you? Madame…"

"Pince." The woman said softly, coming back into the room. "Irma Pince. I…I don't think we've ever been formally introduced. Severus…he and I are not on the best of terms."

"Oh. I…I'm sorry to hear that, Madame Pince."

"Please, no need to be so formal. Please call me Irma."

The librarian transfigured herself a chair from a pencil she took out of her pocket, setting it across from Ana near the window, and sat down with a quiet sigh.

Ana watched her warily, though she kept a friendly smile on her face.

'Nina' began to fuss hungrily, hunting for the nipple.

"Please, continue if she's hungry," Irma said, beginning to rise. "I can come by another time. She's far more important."

"No, you don't need to go." Ana sighed, "I'm assuming you've had children?"

"I…yes." Irma said softly, sitting back down. "I had…a son. Once."

Ana deftly repositioned her daughter, and soon felt the familiar tug on her already sore nipple. She winced as 'Nina' began to nurse vigorously.

"Sore?" The older woman asked, and when Ana nodded, she smiled sympathetically. "My boy…he was rough on me at first, too. He was always very aggressive when he nursed."

"Forgive me for asking," Ana said, "But what happened? Did he…um…"

Madam Pince had gone deathly pale, her hands knotted in her robes.

"I…I'm sorry to be so rude." Ana said quickly, blushing at her faux pas. "Just forget that I asked about it, it's none of my business."

"No, I fear it is your business." Madam Pince said, so softly that Ana could barely hear her. The older woman began to say something else, but choked it off in a strangled sob, fumbling for her hanky.

"I…I'm sorry, I really should go." She sniffed, dabbing at her eyes.

"No, it's alright." Ana replied. "Please, continue. What about your son?"

"Severus…is my son." Madam Pince said nervously, glancing behind her at the door. "Few here at Hogwarts know this. You…are only the fifth person who knows…the truth."

Ana sat perfectly still, eyes wide in shock, unable to speak.

_Oh, Merlin…_ she thought, realizing just who the woman was.

Rising from her chair, Madam Pince transfigured it back into a pencil with a wave of her hand and a few softly spoken words in Latin.

"I…need to go." She whispered, blinking back tears. "Severus wouldn't want me to be here…but I just wanted to see my granddaughter. Just for a moment."

"Wait! I-" Ana cried out, disturbing 'Nina' who began to wail her displeasure.

Madame Pince turned and fled the room, leaving Ana staring after her.

oOo

Minerva came by after lunch to see her and 'Nina', cooing at the child as she held her and giving Ana a much needed break to take a short nap. When she woke up, it was nearly two in the afternoon.

"Headmistress, why didn't you wake me?" Ana yawned, crossing to the couch to take 'Nina' from Minerva. From her fussiness, she could tell her daughter was hungry again, and she quickly set her to the breast. Minerva smiled.

"Don't worry." The Headmistress said. "I would have awakened you if she got too fussy. Motherhood is a strenuous job, as I'm sure you know by now. Have you and Severus decided on a name for her yet?"

"No," Ana said, shaking her head. "Severus is being stubborn. So it's 'Nina' for now, I suppose."

Minerva chuckled at that.

Ana, remembering her odd visitor that morning, decided to gamble. _I don't know who the other four people are who know that Madame Pince is Snape's _mother, she thought, _but I'm willing to bet a few Galleons that Minerva is one of them._

"Speaking of motherhood," Ana said carefully, "Something interesting happened this morning."

Minerva smiled slightly, raising her eyebrows.

"And what was that?" The Headmistress said genially.

"I met Severus' mother this morning." Ana said, shifting 'Nina' slightly to be a bit more comfortable. "Or, someone who claimed to be his mother. Madame Pince."

Minerva's smile vanished, replaced by a look of extreme discomfort. Producing her wand, the Headmistress shut the open door and warded it, the lock snapping into the mortise with a _click_.

"So it's true." Ana said quietly.

"Ana…"

"Why all the secrecy?" Ana asked. "The poor woman acted like she had to sneak around to see her own grandchild, for Merlin's sake!"

"Ana, please listen to me." Minerva sighed. "It's…very complicated. Few people here know Madam Pince is Severus' mother. Severus, of course, knows. Myself, Poppy, Filch, and now, you."

"But why? Who is she hiding from?"

"At first, Tobias, then later, the Dark Lord. Albus was afraid that she might be used as leverage against Severus, and convinced her to stay here."

"Severus has never mentioned her to me." Ana said, "Not once. Now she just shows up, scared to death he might catch her talking to me. Why?"

"I can't tell you that. I do know they don't get along that well, but they are civil to each other in public. Just barely."

"There's no reason for her to hide, so why do it?"

"I'm not sure." Minerva said gently. "Perhaps, it's because…even though she's safe here, she's still afraid."

oOo

Nearly a month later, a few weeks after Ana had moved back home with Severus, she asked him about it. She was lying in bed with him, curled up in his warmth, after having nursed 'Nina'.

"Rachel?" He said, with a sigh.

"No, I don't think I like that one."

"Ana, we need to choose a name at some point." He sighed in exasperation.

"What about…Eileen?" She asked cautiously.

"No. Absolutely not."

"Why?"

"That was my mother's name." He huffed.

"Seems like a nice name. I like it." She said defiantly. "Why not name her after your mum?"

He said nothing. She could tell he was angry, just from his body language.

_Решить одну проблему, и вы держите сотни других прочь_, she thought.

"You'll never solve this problem without talking about it." Ana said, steeling herself. "I met your mother a month ago. I know that she's here at Hogwarts."

For a moment, he just looked at her, astonishment on his face. Ana bit her lip, putting up a brave front, but inside she was terrified. _He's going to fly mad, I just know it…_

Anger clouded his face, and then faded as he sat up in the bed, turning away from her. He was trembling.

"Severus?" She said hesitantly, reaching out to touch his back. He shivered slightly, but he didn't get up and leave as she feared.

Ana got up on her knees, walking on them across the mattress to Severus to slide her arms around him.

"I…I'm sorry, Severus." She whispered, tears welling up in her eyes. "I'm sorry I mentioned it, darling, please don't be angry. Just forget it…"

He shook his head, his hand coming up to clasp her arm gently.

"You're scaring me, darling…please say something, anything…"

"It's…alright." He sighed, relaxing a bit. "I should have figured you two would meet eventually."

Ana wrapped herself around his back, her thighs on either side of him, resting her cheek on his shoulder. She closed her eyes as she hugged him tightly.

"Severus, you know I love you." She said softly, "I would never do anything to hurt you."

"I know." He sighed.

"She is Nina's grandmother, whether we like it or not."

"I suppose so."

"Do you mind if I visit her, with Nina?" Ana asked nervously.

He hesitated, and then shook his head.

"I…don't mind if you do." Severus sighed. "It's just…we have some issues, she and I."

"Honestly, Severus, how bad could it be?" She pleaded with him, sliding her hands up to massage his tight shoulders. "I think she's as frightened of you as you are angry at her. When she came by to see Nina and me, she kept looking at the door, as if she were expecting you to come in at any moment."

"Well, I am your husband." He observed dryly. "It was certainly a possibility."

"I think you should talk to her," Ana said carefully, "sometime soon. You might be surprised. I never had much contact with her in the past year, though I do know she has a reputation with the students as being rather…unpleasant. But she was very kind to me when she came by the other day."

"I don't know if I can." Severus sighed. "We're lucky to get through a school year without being at each other's throats. "

"I like Eileen." Ana said softly.

Severus rolled his eyes heavenward. _Merlin, why me?_ He sighed to himself.

oOo

Madam Pince looked up from her desk when the doors to the library opened, two students walking in. It was a quiet Tuesday afternoon, with few students coming in. She turned back to her book, turning the page.

"Thank you, Mordecai," someone said near the door, wheeling something in. Madam Pince frowned, placing her bookmark in her book and preparing to scold whoever it was for too much noise.

Then she saw that it was Ana, pushing a stroller in front of her.

The snappish, grumpy librarian began to panic, backing toward the doorway to her office.

"Hello, Madame Pince." Ana said sweetly, "May I have a word with you? Privately?"

"I…I…" Irma began, and then numbly gestured toward the door to her private office.

"Thank you." Ana said, rolling the stroller into the room, with Madam Pince following behind reluctantly.

Nina had started to fuss, so Ana quickly lifted her from the stroller, shushing her and gently rocking. Madam Pince stood next to her desk, eyeing first the doorway, then Ana, and then Nina, all with about the same amount of trepidation.

"Please, Irma, do sit down." Ana said gently. "You don't mind if I call you Irma, do you? If you're going to hold her, you might want to be more comfortable."

"I don't…I can't…Severus…"

"Oh, bother!" Ana sighed, getting up from her chair and walking over to her. "I've talked with Severus about this. He wasn't upset with me, and when I asked him if I could visit you, he agreed. So, do you want to hold your granddaughter or not?"

Numbly, Madam Pince nodded, holding out her hands. Ana carefully transferred her daughter over to her, the older woman trembling slightly as she cradled the little girl. Nina sleepily looked up at her with curious gray eyes and yawned.

"She…she's beautiful." Madam Pince whispered reverently, her eyes shiny with tears. "I…um, thank you."

"It's my pleasure." Ana said softly, carefully assisting the older woman to her chair behind the desk, helping her sit down.

"What…what about Severus?" Madam Pince asked, a touch of fear in her voice.

"It's fine, Irma." Ana said, patting her arm. "I discussed coming to visit you with Nina last night with him. Whatever problems there are between you two, he was agreeable to you visiting with Nina, at least."

"I see." Madam Pince sighed, rocking Nina gently.

For a few minutes, they sat silently in the office, the only sound being Nina gurgling occasionally.

"Irma, I think you should talk to Severus." Ana began carefully, noting the panicked expression that came to the older woman's face.

"I…I just can't. He…" Madam Pince said, and then sighed. "We get along…as long as we don't talk very much. He and I…well, I haven't been a very good mum to him."

"What does that matter?" Ana protested. "He's my husband now. You're my mother-in-law, and Nina's grandmother. We need you, and you need us."

"But I…"

"No buts!" Ana said sharply. "My parents are dead. My stepmother is dead. All we have for Nina in the way of grandparents is my stepfather…and you. So, we need to get any problems between you and Severus worked out, and the sooner, the better."

"I can see why Severus married you." Madam Pince said, smiling slightly. "You're very determined."

"What do you mean?"

The older woman sighed.

"After all he's been through, I was sure that he would never find someone." She said, repositioning Nina as she squirmed a bit. "I'm sure that you've figured out that he doesn't trust others easily."

"Yes, I know that." Ana said frankly. "I spent years trying to convince him that we should be a couple…"

Then Nina gave a bit of a fuss, shushing when Madam Pince spoke softly to her. Carefully, she got up to give her to Ana.

"You'd better feed her," Madam Pince said gently. "I need to check on the students in the library, but I'll be back."

When the door closed behind the librarian, Ana unbuttoned her robes and her blouse, and put Nina to her breast. She winced as her daughter began to feed greedily.

"What do you think, kitten?" She sighed, and then smiled down at her daughter. "I think that the only person we need to talk to now is that grumpy daddy of yours. Your grandma seems fine to me. Once we get them talking civilly, things should be fine."

oOo

"Severus."

He stopped and turned to see Minerva walking up behind him. With a sigh, he waited for her to get to him impatiently; he had one more DADA class to teach and then his day was over. Or perhaps more accurately, he would finally be able to perhaps catch up on the essays that needed grading.

"Headmistress." He said, arching an eyebrow.

"I need to talk to you." Minerva said, obviously upset. "Ana knows who Madame Pince-"

"Yes, she told me last night." Severus sighed. "I don't see any harm in it, Minerva. Everyone who's ever wanted to harm her is long gone by now."

"Actually, I was concerned about you. Are you okay with this?"

"I don't see as I have much choice in the matter. My headstrong wife has seen to that."

"Are you going to talk to her now, Severus?"

"I don't know."

Minerva sighed in exasperation.

"She was at the wedding, wasn't she?" Severus said flatly. "Disillusioned, sitting next to Filch? Did you really think you could fool me?"

"She was. I feared, just as she did, that you would cause a scene."

"You have so little faith in me."

"I know how you can be."

"There would not have been a scene if she would have just not attended."

"Really, Severus!" She snapped. "She's your mother! I would think that you could perhaps put your differences aside and let her enjoy her grandchild, at the least. You don't have to forgive her."

"That…" He said coldly, "Is up to me."

oOo

"So, it's been rather like a Muggle witness protection program." Ana said.

Nina was dozing in her stroller, and she and Madam Pince were having afternoon tea, along with some sandwiches and biscuits brought by the house elves.

"I suppose so." The older woman agreed. "Albus thought it best to protect me, from…Tobias. Since Severus was attending school here, it only made sense. Later on, when…"

She sighed heavily, pursing her lips together.

"Are you alright?" Ana asked.

"Yes…it…it's difficult for me to talk about." Irma sighed. "I blamed myself, for a long time. I didn't understand why he went into the service of the Dark Lord. I was… ashamed.

"I tried to leave, but Albus insisted that I stay. He…was concerned for my safety, and he was also worried that…the Dark Lord, if he found me, would use me to manipulate Severus."

"So, in effect, you were a prisoner here at Hogwarts." Ana said quietly.

"I was. Worst of all, my son…he refused to speak to me. Those were dark times, and he was under enormous stress. Of course, I didn't know why, only that he was positively hateful to me."

Ana took a sip of tea, and then set her cup back down on its saucer.

"Do you think that perhaps he didn't want to burden you with what he was doing?" Ana asked. "With the knowledge that he was a double agent working to bring down the Dark Lord?"

"Perhaps." Irma admitted. "I know he was angry with me for a long time. He considered me weak, useless, believed that I didn't care about him. I…I was helpless against Tobias, especially when he was drinking. He was sweet and kind to me when we married, but then…"

The older woman shuddered, reliving old memories.

"I tried my best, Ana, but I had to survive." She said sadly. "I should have taken Severus and moved out the first time he hit me, or the first time he hit Severus. But I loved him. I thought he would change, I believed his apologies, and his promises to do better, to never hit us again, never drink again…"

"It wasn't your fault." Ana said gently, taking the older woman's hand and giving a reassuring squeeze. "Don't punish yourself for it. Just be a better person now, not allowing your past mistakes to define you."

"You know, we have more in common than Severus and Nina." Ana said, checking on her daughter. "Severus kept us both in the dark during those war years. I remember when I found out he was a Death Eater…I was so angry with him."

"You were?"

"Oh, yes." Ana nodded. "I'd just finished my graduate course work at Beauxbartons. We happened to meet at the beach in Corsica while we were both on summer holiday, and…well, we had…um, a fling."

"A fling?" The older woman smiled. "So romantic."

"It was." Ana sighed. "He was…I had a crush on him for years, got to where I disliked him intensely, but he was so charming, so much fun. We spent the whole day together, went shopping, a candlelight dinner…"

She blushed, and then went on.

"…we spent the night together. The next morning, I saw the Dark Mark on his forearm. I was crushed. You see, Death Eaters murdered my parents, and also the couple that Severus took me to…"

Ana closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, letting it out.

"I…my first reaction was to kill him." She smiled thinly at the look of shock on Madam Pince's face. "I…I just couldn't do it. I tried to just leave him a note, telling him I knew he was a Death Eater, that I would kill him if I saw him again…but I tore it up. I…I ended up just leaving him there, asleep in the bed, not knowing how close he came to dying. I walked away."

By now, Irma had a puzzled expression on her face.

"Was Severus involved in…the deaths?" The older woman asked, her voice a hushed whisper.

"No. He wasn't. He…" Ana sighed, defeated. "It's rather complicated, the relationship between Severus and me."

"But you love him?"

"Yes." Ana smiled. "Yes, I do. I realize now, looking back, that I couldn't forgive him for being a Death Eater then, but I did love him, enough that I could not bring myself to harm him. For many years, I thought of him as my hero…later, I had relationships with other men, but…it seemed that they always fell short.

"They…weren't Severus. None of them compared to him. But even when I…started seeing Severus, it wasn't easy."

"At first, we fought. We fought a lot." She sighed. "When I look back on it, much of it was my fault. But it's easier now…we reached an understanding. Does any of this make any sense to you? You probably think I'm mad."

"No, dear." Madam Pince smiled. "I understand you completely."

oOo

Author's notes-

Решить одну проблему, и вы держите сотни других прочь. = Solve one problem, and you keep a hundred others away.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 19

September 20, 1999~

"Absolutely not!" Severus snapped, towering over Ana. She was at more of a disadvantage than usual, since she was barefoot and he was wearing his dragonhide boots, but she still glared stubbornly up at him, her arms crossed defiantly.

"Lower your voice. You'll wake up Nina." She hissed, her gray eyes flashing like flint.

Her hair was down, for once not in her trademark French braid, for she'd washed it that evening, and had been sitting at her vanity brushing it out when he'd stormed into their bedroom. Brandishing the papers for the Ministry birth certificate, he'd slapped them in front of her and pointed his trembling index finger at it.

_Katerina Eileen Millicent Snape_, it read, where she had filled it out with her elegant cursive writing.

"I didn't sign it yet, you know." She sighed, setting down her hairbrush. "I was going to talk to you before I signed it and made it official."

"Well, you will change it, then!" He hissed.

"I will not. Not until you stop behaving like a petulant child toward your mother."

"Insufferable witch-"

"Severus, we have discussed this." She said calmly, a bit more calmly than she felt. "I want her named Katerina, after my late mother, and-"

"We are not naming our daughter after my mother-"

"Severus!" she snapped, beginning to get angry again. "You are getting entirely too loud, and you will wake up Nina! Now, we can discuss this quietly, or not at all!"

He stood there glaring down at her, his fists clenched.

"Will you keep your voice down now?" She asked, picking up her hairbrush again.

With a sigh, he nodded his head in resignation.

"Come with me." She said, walking into the sitting room. He followed her there, to stand awkwardly beside the couch.

"Sit." She said gently, pushing on his chest until he sat down on the couch with an exasperated sigh. Pushing his legs apart with her knee, she gracefully pivoted and sat down regally in front of him, handing him her hairbrush over her shoulder. With another sigh, he took the hairbrush from her and after a moment, began to brush her hair.

"Now, we need to name her." Ana said quietly, glad that she had her back to him so he couldn't see the smirk on her face. _He's almost ready to give in_, she thought, composing herself so as to not irritate him even more. "I'm sure we're in agreement there."

"I see nothing wrong with Rachel." He huffed, gently loosening a tangle. "Or Elizabeth…or Sarah."

"No, there's nothing wrong with those names." She sighed; relaxing as he steadily brushed her auburn hair. "Do you think I should cut my hair short, now that I'm a mother?"

"No. Don't change the subject." He said, continuing to brush. "Why are you so dead set on using my mother's name? Or rather, her…old name?"

"Severus, the only person who seems to have a problem with it is you. It's not like many people will know."

"It will be her name, for Merlin's sake!" He snapped.

Ana sighed heavily and leaned back against him, closing her eyes.

"Severus," She said softly, "I love you…but you can be such an insufferable git."

oOo

"Ana! What a surprise!" Madam Pince said when she opened the door. "Come in!"

"Severus had a meeting with the Headmistress after classes today, so we have until dinner." Ana said as she walked in, Nina perched on her hip.

"I…oh, wait here in the sitting room a moment; I found the most wonderful thing-"Irma said, flitting out of the room.

Coming back in carrying a rolled up rug, she carefully spread it out on the stone floor.

"A magical play rug…" Ana breathed softly, her eyes wide in wonder at first, then darkening with something else entirely. "I…um, could you take Nina? I…excuse me…"

Handing her daughter to Madam Pince, she fled to the bathroom.

oOo

"_She's far too old for such a thing, Marcus! That's for a baby!"_

"_Nonsense!" Marcus Petto said, lugging the rolled up rug into her bedroom. Ana looked up, surprised that her adoptive parents were arguing. She'd lived with them for three months, and this was the closest they'd been to cross words with each other. With a flourish, her adoptive father spread the rug out on the floor and murmured a few words in Latin, smiling as it glowed briefly._

"_Ana, my dear, I got you this to play on." Her stepfather grinned. "It's a magical rug."_

"_Marcus, it's for young children." Millicent huffed. "She's almost ten years old, far too old for something like this!"_

"_Nonsense, dear." He chuckled, and then turned back to Ana. "If you don't want to play on it, it's still a nice rug, right?"_

_After dinner and her bath, she sat on her bed, eyeing the rug suspiciously. She'd been careful to avoid stepping on it all evening. It could be some kind of trap._

_She had the dream again that night, the one where the werewolves were at the closet door as she hid amongst her mother's clothes, praying that they would pass by._

_With a sob, she awoke to the dark, unfamiliar bedroom, in a strange bed, covered by a duvet that didn't smell right to her. Stumbling from the bed, she did what she'd been avoiding until now._

_She stepped on the magical rug._

_Instantly, she felt calmer. The rug was warm and comfortable under her feet, and somehow, she __knew__ that the werewolves could not touch her so long as she was on it._

_The next morning, Marcus Petto cautiously cracked open the door to his adopted daughter's room, worried that she might not have slept well._

"_Millicent!" He whispered, "Come here…"_

"_What?" His wife sighed, setting down her cup of coffee and walking into the short hall that led to Ana's bedroom. Marcus held his finger to his lips, and then opened the door a bit wider._

_Millicent smothered a gasp of surprise with her hand, her eyes wide._

_Ana was sound asleep, curled up on the rug._

oOo

When she returned, Ana found Madam Pince sitting on the floor next to the rug, with Nina lying on her back, gurgling happily and trying to reach the fairies that floated around her on the magical mobile that her grandmother had conjured up for her.

Irma took in Ana's puffy eyes and reddened face and sighed.

"I'm sorry if I upset you, dear." She said. "Are you alright? I didn't mean to bring up bad memories for you."

"It's alright. I…it was a good memory, really." Ana said softly, dabbing at her eyes with her hanky. "I'm very surprised that you were able to find one for her. I thought they weren't made any more."

"It reminded you of your childhood?"

"Yes…I remember having one…at least I remember playing on it when I was older."

For a while, the two women sat in silence, as Nina cooed.

"I…well, I bought the rug, but it was a long time ago." The older woman said hesitantly. "It was Severus', when he was a little boy."

"I thought it might have been." Ana said, nodding to her daughter, who was lying on her back on the rug, quite content with it.

"I don't know much about you, really nothing at all." Irma said quietly. "Most women know…their daughter-in-law fairly well before the marriage. You didn't seem to have much need for the library resources, so other than seeing you at the staff table during meals…"

"Well, ours is an unusual relationship." Ana smiled. "I had no idea that you were Severus' mother, and by the time I figured it out, we were married."

"Indeed."

Ana bit her lip for a moment, thinking deeply.

"I don't know how to make things any easier." She sighed. "Ask me whatever you wish. If I don't feel comfortable answering your question, I'll say so."

Madam Pince nodded in agreement.

"In return, I offer you the same courtesy." The librarian said softly. "It's only fair."

"Then, tell me." Ana said, leaning forward eagerly, "What was Severus like when he was a boy?"

oOo

Much as he preferred to avoid it, it finally happened. He was researching some material for his DADA class, when he found that what he needed most was in the library. Severus sighed.

SHE would be there, of course.

He checked his bookshelves again, but could not find anything helpful regarding the Blue-backed wyvern.

With a deep sigh of disgust, he headed to the library.

"Ah…Professor Snape…I…" Madam Pince said hesitantly, looking as if she would much rather just hide under her desk.

"I need a book." He said sharply, crossing his arms. "Poincare's Detailed Taxomy of Familiars."

"Um…let me see." She said nervously, scanning the card catalog with her wand. "Ah, here it is. Aisle H2, near the back. Shall I get it for you, Professor?"

"That won't be necessary." He sneered, sweeping past her in a billowing cloud of black robes.

"Severus!" She snapped irritably. "That's enough! I never taught you to be so rude to someone who was trying to help you. Where are your manners?"

"I do not think that you…" He began, wheeling on her quickly enough that she retreated a step, frightened. Then he paused.

He was looking at her desk, a peculiar expression on his face. Pushing past her, he stepped over to the desk and picked up a bit of white cloth, trimmed in delicate hand-made lace. By the feel of it, the material alone was quite expensive, the finest silk, he guessed.

"Give that back!" She said, panic in her voice as she snatched at it, missing as he easily held it out of her reach. Scissors, spools of thread, and other bits hit the floor as he bumped the desk evading her.

"What is this supposed to be, exactly?" He asked quietly.

"It…it's for Nina." Madam Pince replied, wringing her hands in despair.

His face an unreadable mask, he carefully placed the dress on the desk and swept past her to the library doors. They made a hollow boom behind him as he left, old dust sifting down from the ceiling beams.

oOo

Ana was sitting at her desk, grading essays after nursing Nina and allowing one of the house elves to tuck her in for a nap.

The floo flared to life, Madam Pince's face appearing in the green flames.

"Ana? Are you there?" She fairly shouted.

"Yes!" Ana whispered urgently, leaping up and crossing the room to the fireplace, holding a finger to her lips. "Shh! I just put Nina down for a nap."

"Oh…I'm sorry I shouted," Irma said, her face contorted with fear, "but Severus just left my office. He saw…oh, Ana, I was making a christening dress for Nina! It…was to be a surprise for you. He…"

"Did he say anything about it?"

"No, not really. He just put it back down on my desk and left. Slammed the door to the library, he did."

"He's not angry, Irma." Ana sighed, rubbing her forehead. "He…how do I put this…he doesn't accept someone doing him a kindness very well."

"I'm well aware of that."

Ana smiled at Madam Pince's ghostly face in the flames.

"A christening dress?" She said quietly.

"I…yes. I don't have any, so I made one for Nina." The older woman sighed heavily. "I was supposed to be a surprise. I'm so put out with that boy."

Ana giggled.

"I'm sorry." She said, once she recovered her composure. "It just sounds so funny when you refer to Severus as 'that boy'."

oOo

He came to bed late, but she waited up for him.

Pretending to be tired, he gave her a brief peck on the cheek and rolled over with his back to her.

"Don't think we aren't going to discuss this." Ana said crisply, poking him in the back with her finger.

"What?"

"Oh, don't play dumb with me. What happened today in the library?"

He sighed.

"Come on, tell me." She said, poking him a bit harder.

"She's making a christening dress for Nina." He looked at her suspiciously. "I suppose you knew about this all along, as thick as you two are."

"Severus, I didn't know about it. You spoiled the surprise." She sighed, rolling onto her back. "She was very upset that you saw it."

He was silent.

Ana sighed in frustration.

"What?" He said irritably, rolling over on his back.

"She was afraid you were angry with her. Frankly, I don't blame her." She snapped, sitting up in bed to glare down at him. "You need to stop being so horrible to her. She's not done anything for you to be angry about. She made our daughter a lovely gown to be christened in, because she loves us. All three of us, even you."

"It…it's difficult." Severus said softly, sighing. "I've been angry at her for so long, I…"

"Oh, please." Ana huffed, poking him in the chest. "You're upset with her for something that she had very little control over, namely, your father. Severus, he was a big man, and she's a petite woman! How did you expect her to do anything against him?"

"You've been talking to her." He said half-accusingly.

"Yes, and what of it?" She sighed. "Severus, she is still your mother, she still loves you. She loves Nina, and I'd like to think she likes me a lot too. I'm open and honest with her, and she is with me. I didn't ask her anything other than what a 'normal' daughter-in-law might ask her mother-in-law."

"Oh, Merlin…" He groaned, pinching the bridge of his nose with a sigh.

Ana smirked, and then swung her leg over to straddle his hips, sliding her arms around his neck.

"She told me everything." She whispered in his ear, and then giggled evilly.

"Surely not." He said warily.

"Oh, I have so much dirt on you." She purred, snuggling up to him. "Like the time when you were four years old, playing in the yard, and went behind a tree to pee...and your back was to the road, with cars driving by."

"Oh, dear gods…"

"Your secrets are safe with me." She said, giving his earlobe a playful nip with her teeth. "You just have to obey me in everything from now on."

"Insufferable witch."

"You know it, Professor." She smirked. "Do you want to know what your loving wife desires as her first request of you?"

"I'm afraid to ask."

"I…want…you…" Ana said slowly, punctuating each few words with a gentle kiss, "…to go talk to your mother. Tomorrow morning, after breakfast. I want you…to be polite…to be nice to her…and forgive her. Because she deserves it. As do Nina, myself, and you. Give in, Severus. Don't hold on to your anger, let it go. Please? For Nina and I? For you?"

"Oh, alright." Severus sighed as she nibbled on his earlobe playfully. "You won't give up unless I do it."

"It's for the best, Severus." Ana said quietly. "You deserve peace and happiness, and so does she."

oOo

She flinched as he came into the library, a group of students on the way out flowing around him like water, all of them eyeing him warily. Few of the students were familiar with him from his old days as Potions Professor, but his reputation was well known, and had only been enhanced by his teaching methods in the DADA classes.

"Professor Snape…" She said nervously. "I was able to get a copy of that book you asked about, Lycanthropy in the Middle Ages-"

"That is not what I am here for today." He said quietly. "I believe we have a discussion that is best conducted in your office."

"I…I see." Madam Pince replied. She set a 'Back in 5 minutes' sign on the checkout desk, then walked to her office, Professor Snape behind her.

"So…what is this about, then?" She said, moving behind her desk, using it almost like a shield.

He closed the door behind him, and then turned to face her.

"I wish to apologize for my rude behavior the other day." He said, "I am sorry, Mother."

Irma stood behind her desk, holding tightly onto her chair with one hand, fearful she might fall down.

"I…" she swallowed nervously, tears welling in her eyes. "I accept your apology…my…son."

In three long strides, he crossed the floor, taking her into his arms as she sagged against him. Weeping openly now, Madam Pince leaned against Severus.

oOo

October 15, 1999~

And that was that, it seemed.

_It's so much better than her having to walk around on eggshells_, Ana thought as she watched them in the garden. Madam Pince-she still couldn't really get comfortable with calling her Irma, except in private-was pushing Nina in her pram, with Severus walking alongside.

"I never thought I'd see the day."

Ana turned away from the window to see the Headmistress beside her, gazing fondly down at the scene in the garden.

"Good afternoon, Headmistress." Ana smiled.

"How did you get them to talk to each other?" Minerva said, giving her a hug. "I've never seen them say more than a dozen words to each other in a term, and here they are, just talking up a storm down there."

"Well, I suspect that Nina has a bit to do with it." She shrugged. "Of course, I had to 'persuade' Severus a bit, too."

"I'm sure." Minerva said dryly, looking back down at the garden. Madam Pince had Nina out of the pram and was holding her so she could see the ducks swimming in the pond, Severus standing nearby.

"Headmistress…" Ana said, frowning, "Do you think that Madam Pince…well, will she ever be able to be Severus' mother again, 'officially'?"

"Not really, Ana." The Headmistress sighed. "'Officially', she is dead, according the Ministry. Kingsley Shacklebolt arranged the papers for her at Dumbledore's request. Eileen Snape 'died' when Severus was in his seventh year here at Hogwarts.

"Dreadful business, it was. Tobias had broken her arm, broken her cheekbone…"

Minerva glanced over at Ana with a troubled expression, weighing what she was about to say carefully.

"She killed him, you know. If she hadn't, he might have killed her that night."

"How?" Ana said, shocked by this revelation.

"She used an unforgivable." Minerva sighed, turning back to the window to look out across the garden. "She didn't have a wand, Tobias had broken it, but she cast it wandlessly. I suppose if you're in fear for your life, you can do anything."

"Anyway, Albus, Poppy, Hagrid, and I all went to Spinner's End that night when she flooed Poppy. We cleaned up the mess, got her out of there, did it discreetly. Albus convinced the Muggle police that it was a botched robbery, and that Tobias lived alone. Poppy nursed Eileen back to health in the Hospital wing."

Minerva sighed again, rubbing her eyes with one hand.

"It took a while for Severus to forgive us for that night, for not telling him what had happened. And then, once he knew the truth of it, he could not forgive…Eileen, either. By then, he had joined the Death Eaters, and Eileen could not accept that. There have been many cross words between them, Ana."

Ana said nothing, she merely nodded. She was watching her family in the garden, seeing her husband and mother-in-law with new eyes.

oOo

"Welcome." The tall, skinny man with the closely cropped black hair said, his eyes burning above his high cheekbones as he surveyed the crowd in the ruined castle. "I appreciate it that you have joined us in our cause. Many of you have journeyed quite far to be here tonight, at great personal risk, and that is noted."

"Earlier this year, the man who betrayed our Lord-"

A chorus of boos and catcalls threatened to overwhelm the speaker, and he held his hands up for quiet, waiting for the din to die off so he could be heard.

"Earlier this year, the man who betrayed our Lord, the traitorous double agent Severus Snape-"

Cries of pent up rage rose in the hall once more at the mention of the name, the speaker merely waiting for them to spend themselves.

"-married the notorious killer of our fathers and mothers, wives and husbands, the merciless Ana Romanov, the Butcher of Beauxbartons-"

The crowd hissed disapproval, pounding on the rickety tables and chairs in the hall. A rather obese wizard's chair broke, causing a bit of laughter to roll about the room.

"Now, I know that many of you want revenge, and soon." Antonin Dolohov continued, holding up his hands to quell yet another round of shouting.

"We must have patience, however." He said, raising his hands once more when cries of disbelief began to mount.

"We've been patient!" A solid looking blond witch hissed loudly, "Snape needs to pay!"

"And he will, Eaon, he will!" Dolohov said sharply. "We need to prepare, to make everything ready, and to build a trap he cannot escape from. Careful planning and meticulous preparation will ensure our success.

"Soon will be Halloween, a day that has been celebrated for centuries. For us, some celebrations have been bitter, some sweet. One year from this coming Halloween, we will celebrate a truly glorious holiday. We will prepare, we will wait until he is convinced that he and his 'family' are safe…and then we will destroy his life, as he destroyed ours.

"Snape will be rendered helpless, and we will force him to watch as we take what he holds most dear, what he loves most…and then we will kill him."

The crowd leaped to their feet almost as one, cheering wildly.

oOo

Author's notes-

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 20~

December 18, 1999~

"Severus, she'll be fine." Ana sighed in exasperation, buttoning up her traveling cloak and adjusting her gloves. "Come on."

"Just a moment." He said, cracking open the door to the nursery to peek in again, the second time in the past ten minutes.

"She'll be fine, darling. Your mum is staying here with her until we get back from the dinner, she's in good hands. Stop worrying so much and come on, will you? We're going to be late if we don't hurry."

The door to the nursery opened, and Madam Pince walked out, closing it gently behind her.

"Severus," She whispered sternly, "Nina's finally asleep. Now take your beautiful bride and go to the dinner! I will send my patronus right away if we need you, but I'm perfectly capable of taking care of her. Now, go."

"I suppose." Severus grumbled.

"You look lovely, Ana." Madam Pince whispered, patting her on the shoulder.

"Thank you." Ana smiled, taking Severus by the arm. "Everything that you need should be in the nursery, except for her bottles in the fridge. Our house elf will help you."

"Come on, you sourpuss." Ana said to Severus with a smirk, tugging on his arm. "We don't want to be late."

oOo

Madam Pince was sitting on the couch when the first one floated by. She blinked, thinking, _I'm seeing things_.

Then two more of the shiny gilt stars drifted slowly past her. With a sigh of exasperation, she marked her place in her book and set it down.

"Merlin, she's starting earlier than Severus did." She muttered to herself under her breath, heading for the nursery. Pushing the door open, she walked over to the crib to peer down at her granddaughter. Nina cooed at her grandmother, waving her tiny hands. Another star detached itself from the mobile above her crib and floated upward.

"You are being very, very naughty." Madam Pince said softly, a broad smile on her face. "Grandma's going to have to find all those stars and put your mobile back together before mum and dad get home, sweetie."

Picking her up, she sniffed.

"Oh, Merlin." She sighed. "It smells like you made your grandma a little present, too."

Crossing the room to the changing table, she changed Nina's diaper with confident hands, vanishing the dirty diaper and putting a clean nightgown on her. She was on her way to the kitchenette for a bottle when the patronus materialized in the hallway.

oOo

"Now for our last guest lecturer for this evening, the Honorable Markus Slyzanany, Potions Master at Chrastava." Beaming, the announcer waved a short, squat wizard with an unruly mop of blonde hair to the podium.

"Oh, dear gods." Sighed Ana in disgust, toying with her coffee cup, having finished only half of the rich chocolate cake served for dessert.

"Indeed." Severus nodded. "Do you want the rest of that?"

"No." She said, shaking her head and pushing the plate over to him. "Severus, if he starts in on that business with the valerian root again, I'm going start heckling him."

"No, you won't. You're too well mannered."

"You just watch. For years, I've had to endure him, first as a guest lecturer when I was a student at Durmstang, then lectures for the Potions Society in Paris while I was doing my graduate work, now this. I've had it with that pompous windbag."

"Behave yourself, dear." He sighed, forking another chunk of chocolate cake and consuming it with relish. "This cake is delicious."

"Isn't it?" She smiled. "I fear it's a bit rich for me. I do believe I could set the hem of his robe on fire from here."

"You really don't like him, do you?"

"He came to our Advanced Potions class at Durmstang as a guest lecturer and talked for three hours about how to collect Alihotsy leaves! Really, it's not that big a deal. All you have to do is wear a good pair of dragonhide gloves and you're safe from the resin!"

Severus nodded, scraping up the last bit of chocolate and scooping it into his mouth. Ana fidgeted in her seat, mouth pursed in irritation as Slyzanany droned on, expounding on the benefits of using Leaping Toadstool extract in the making of Limbering Solution.

"Professor Romanov-Snape, you look as if you're about to burst."

"I can't help it, Severus! He just grates on my nerves so-" She hissed, shooting him a glare. "Oh! There it is! Did you hear him? He mentioned that old wives' tale about the silver knife and the valerian roots! I swear, I'm going to hex him-"

"Ana, please. He'll be finished soon." He sighed, pushing the empty plate away and taking a sip of his coffee. "The Society is very strict about time limits on speakers."

"Half the wizards and witches here have slipped out, in case you haven't noticed. The man is an idiot."

"I take it you wish to slip out, then?"

"Please. Or I might do something naughty."

"Do I need to spank you?"

Ana stuck her tongue out at him defiantly.

"Brat." He smirked.

"Git." She shot back. "I'm not scared of you. I dare you to try to spank me later."

"Careful, you may get what you ask for." He smirked.

Ana sat, drumming her fingers idly on the table, her nerves screaming under the drone of Slyzanany's voice.

"Severus, do you love me?" She sighed a few minutes later.

"You know I love you, darling."

"Then please take me away from this, I beg of you. Listening to him is causing my brain to commit suicide, one by one."

With a chuckle, Severus stood, taking Ana by the hand and leading her out to the cloakroom in the hall.

As they walked out, headed to the apparition point, a light snow had begun to fall, delicate tiny flakes that floated on a light breeze. As they walked along the sidewalk, Ana held Severus' arm, smiling contentedly as the flakes lazily drifted around them.

As they turned the corner, Severus had turned his head toward Ana to ask if she wanted to stop somewhere before they apparated back to Hogwarts. She laughed, shaking her head, and then looked around as her peripheral vision caught movement.

Ana's eyes grew wide in horror as she spotted the upraised wand, just before the curse erupted from it, blinding her with red light. Her breath rushed from her lungs as Severus spun and tackled her, knocking her out of the way.

"_Avada kedavra!_" She heard some man shout, just before everything went black.

oOo

_Indistinct voices. Pain._

Wincing, she slowly opened her eyes. White ceiling, beige walls, the smell of antiseptic.

_Head hurts, but not nearly as bad as my ribs on the left side_, Ana thought, sucking in a breath painfully. _Oh, Merlin…definitely cracked some ribs. I need to remember not to breathe on that side._

"Severus?" She managed to croak out, her voice rough and nearly inaudible.

"Oh, you're awake." A young medi-witch said brightly, leaning over her in the bed.

"My husband…the tall man with black hair…where?" Ana said, beginning to panic.

"You need to rest, Mrs. Snape." The young medi-witch said, gently putting a hand on Ana's shoulder to keep her from getting up. "You have a concussion, as well as a few broken ribs. Your husband is in surgery right now, but his injuries aren't that bad. We expect he'll make a full recovery."

"I see. May I have my wand?" Ana sighed. "I need to let our babysitter know that we will be delayed."

"Oh, of course." The medi-witch said, retrieving Ana's wand from the nightstand drawer and handing it to her. Ana closed her eyes, thinking for a moment.

"_Expecto Patronum_." Ana said softly. A white Siberian tiger materialized, shimmering in the hospital room. The medi-witch gave a gasp of surprise, backing away from it.

"Madam Pince," Ana said to the patronus, "Severus and I will be delayed getting home. We were attacked, but we're alright. Tell the Headmistress."

With a lunge, the patronus leaped through the wall to go deliver its message.

Ana looked over at the medi-witch with a slight smirk.

"Haven't you ever seen a patronus before?" She said, sliding her wand into the sleeve of her gown.

"Um…yes, but not one like that." The young woman said, her hand still on her chest. "Whew. That was something else. You…you're Ana Romanov, aren't you?"

"I am." Ana said quietly, her hand still on her wand, her eyes wary.

"I…I never dreamed that I might meet you again someday." The medi-witch said, producing a hanky and dabbing at her eyes.

"Do I know you?"

"I don't think so, Professor." The girl said, shaking her head. "I don't think I had you for any of my classes. I'm Sarah Williams…my maiden name was Michon."

Ana's wand fell from fingers that seemed to have no strength at all as she gaped at the young woman.

_Sarah Michon…_

"Are you alright, Dr. Romanov-Snape?" The medi-witch said, stooping to pick up her wand and put it on the bed next to her hand. "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Ana blinked, then swallowed.

"I…I thought…the fire…"

"You saved us, Professor." She said, twisting her hanky nervously. "You destroyed the door. There was just enough space for…for most of us to get out before the roof of the dormitory collapsed."

Ana lay in the bed, stunned.

"We…I saw you as the healers were taking you to hospital." Sarah said, taking Ana's hand in hers, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I've wondered for years if you might have survived. Your arm…"

With a blush, Sarah looked away, biting off the rest of what she might have said.

A long moment passed between them.

"I…I'm sorry about your arm, Professor." Sarah said awkwardly, unable to meet Ana's eyes. "I just…I just wanted you to know how grateful I feel to you. You saved our lives that night. It's an honor to be able to take care of you."

"It's alright, Sarah." Ana said, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm fine. Thank you for telling me what happened…I didn't know that you made it out."

Ana sniffed, letting go of Sarah's hand to wipe her own tears away.

"Sarah, could you do a favor for me?"

"Anything, Professor."

"Just make sure that Severus gets this message when he wakes up after surgery." Ana said, sniffing again. "Please tell him that I love him, and that I'm fine. Make sure he knows that I'm not hurt very badly, because I know he'll worry."

"Of course, Professor."

oOo

Madam Pince stood frozen in the hallway, clutching Nina protectively, as the glowing Siberian tiger padded down the hallway toward her. Nina gurgled happily, reaching out with her tiny hand toward the patronus.

"_Madam Pince_," Ana's voice said, "_Severus and I will be delayed getting home. We were attacked, but we're alright. Tell the Headmistress_."

_Oh, no. Merlin, what could have happened?_ Madam Pince wondered as the patronus dissipated. Swiftly, she walked to the sitting room, Nina balanced on her hip. When she reached the fireplace, she grabbed a handful of floo powder and tossed it into the flames.

"Minerva! Minerva, are you there?" She said sharply.

After a moment, the Headmistress' face appeared.

"Irma! Why, it's nearly eleven!" Minerva said, stifling a yawn. "What's wrong?"

"I just got a patronus from Ana." Madam Pince said, sending several of the stars from the mobile to floating around above Nina to amuse her with a flick of her hand. "She and Severus were attacked in London. I don't have any details, but she said they were alright and that they would be delayed getting home."

"I see." Minerva said crisply, her face vanishing from the flames. "I'm getting dressed, Irma. Do you need someone to help you with Nina?"

"No, we're fine. She just woke up; I'm going to give her a bottle."

"Alright. I'm going to call Harry Potter and have him meet me at the hospital. I'll send my patronus when I have any news."

"Thank you, Minerva." Madam Pince said, watching the green flames turn back to normal.

oOo

Minerva McGonagall apparated with a _crack_ right in front of the hospital, scaring several people half out of their wits.

"Headmistress! Over here!" Harry Potter said, waving his hand as he walked toward her, his Auror coat damp with snow.

"Harry! What on earth happened tonight?" The Headmistress snapped, walking over to him carefully.

"No idea, Minerva." Harry said, pushing up his glasses. "Eyewitnesses said that the woman just pulled a wand and attacked them. Severus killed her, clearly self-defence."

"Are they alright?" She asked as they walked into the hospital past the welcome witch, Harry nodding to a gray-haired Auror as they walked by.

"Ana is awake. She has some cracked ribs and a mild concussion, evidently from hitting the sidewalk when Severus shoved her out of the line of fire."

"No surprise there." Minerva sighed, "What about him? How badly was he hurt?"

"He's in the Intensive Care Unit, just got out of surgery." Harry said, pushing the button to call the elevator. "The attacker used _Sectumsempra _on him, and some of the cuts were rather deep. Undoubtedly, she had a few free shots while he was protecting Ana."

"Oh, dear."

The elevator doors opened with a faint chime, and they stepped into it. Harry pushed the button for the third floor.

"Is he awake yet?" Minerva asked.

"No, not yet. They said it would probably be…" Harry looked at his watch with a frown. "By my reckoning, he should be awake sometime in the next forty minutes or so."

"Well, let's go talk to Ana, then."

"Right. How is Nina, who's keeping her?"

Minerva sighed and mashed the 'Stop' button on the elevator, bringing it to a halt.

"Harry, this is not for public knowledge. Not even Ginny, mind you."

"I…alright, Headmistress." Harry said, eyes wide in surprise. "What is it?"

"Nina is with her grandmother." Minerva said crisply.

"Her grandmother? But Ana's stepmother…"

"No, Harry. Her other grandmother. Madam Pince is Severus' mother."

Harry's jaw dropped, his eyes widening even more.

"You're joshing me."

"No. Eileen Snape 'died' when Severus was seventeen. A few years after that, Madam Irma Pince became the librarian at Hogwarts. Remember your Potions book, the one that was the 'Property of the Half-Blood Prince?"

Harry frowned, deep in thought.

"Irma Pince…" His face lit up with sudden realization. "Irma Pince…I'm a Prince…Oh, Merlin…an anagram."

Minerva disengaged the 'Stop' button, causing the elevator to begin moving again.

"Harry, you must never reveal this." She said, taking his arm. "Especially now. We don't know who is behind this attack, but it's best we not reveal Madam Pince's true identity. It could put her in danger again, as well as Severus and Ana, and little Nina."

Harry nodded.

"I won't say anything to anyone, Headmistress. I swear it."

As they walked into Ana's hospital room, a young medi-witch got up from a chair that she'd been sitting in next to the bed.

"Professor, I need to get back to work," Sarah said, giving Ana's hand a gentle squeeze. "Looks like you have some company."

"Hello, Minerva, Harry." Ana said. "Come back anytime, Sarah."

The medi-witch nodded to them as she went out.

"Hello, Ana." Minerva said, "How are you feeling?"

"Have you seen Severus yet?" She asked anxiously, paying no mind to the question.

"Professor, I checked on him just before the Headmistress got here." Harry said. "He's out of surgery, everything went well. They're just waiting for him to wake up."

"Thank you, Mr. Potter." Ana sighed.

"Please, Professor, call me Harry." He grinned. "Everyone else does."

"You're Ginny's boyfriend, aren't you?"

Harry blushed.

"Um…yes. We're dating."

"I suspected as much." Ana smirked. She enjoyed teasing this young man. "I do ask that you not keep my valuable research assistant out too late on the weekends. We almost have the arithmancy worked out for the improvements for the _Protego_ charm, so I need her to be sharp."

"Professor, I-"

"Harry, I think that Professor Romanov-Snape is joking with you." Minerva said with a chuckle, poking him in the arm.

"It's difficult to tell sometimes, Headmistress." Harry sighed, and then looked at Ana a bit more sharply. "Professor, have you remembered anything else about the attack that I need to add to the report?"

"Not really, Harry." Ana said. I didn't know the woman who attacked us, but she screamed something at Severus, so I'm guessing that he knew her."

"Her name was Eaon Cadwell. We were able to identify her, from what was left. Minor wizarding family, a minor player in the last war, a former Death Eater."

"I don't know if she was a 'former' Death Eater, Harry." Minerva interjected. "I seem to recall that she went on the run, was never captured. I remember her from her time here at Hogwarts, a rather unpleasant girl."

"Do you think this is an isolated attack, Harry?" Ana asked. "After the death of the Dark Lord and all the Death Eaters lost or imprisoned, one would think they wouldn't be strong enough to do much."

"Honestly, we don't know, Professor." Harry sighed, frustration showing in his voice. "This is probably the first attack we've had in months."

"And the second attack on Severus." Ana said sharply. "Remember, the Carrows kidnapped him."

"Um, yes. That too."

"Do you think they're focusing on him?" Minerva asked Harry.

"Could be. Merlin knows, he's done quite enough to earn their enmity."

Harry sighed, took his glasses off and rubbed his eyes. Putting them back on, he looked at Ana.

"Professor, I'll speak with my supervisor about this. They really aren't treating this very seriously, but I'll see what I can do to convince them to put more effort into it. In the meanwhile, you and Professor Snape should stay on your guard, especially outside Hogwarts."

"Thank you, Harry." Ana said with a sigh. "Though I hope we've heard the last of it."

oOo

After her shift, Sarah Michon-Williams walked to the apparition point to go home, pulling out her cell as she walked. Dialing a number in her contacts list, she leaned against a building while she waited for the call to go through.

"Hello?"

"Gerry. This is Sarah."

"Sarah…it's nearly…gods, it isn't even daylight yet!"

"Never mind that. Guess who I talked to tonight?"

"Who?" Sighed the man on the other end of the connection.

"Ana Romanov."

"You're pulling my leg. I swear, if this is some kind of joke-"

"It's no joke. She held my hand and everything. She's in the hospital."

There was a long silence on the other end of the line.

"No shit." The voice had gone from anger to shock.

"Yep. Call the others; call everyone you can get ahold of. We have to do it before they release her, and that will probably be soon. My guess is that we might have three days, tops."

"Merlin, do you think we can handle this? I mean, this will come as a shock to a lot of them. They thought she was dead."

"Well, those who can come, fine. Those who can't, it's no big deal. I'm sure there will be more than enough of us to handle it."

"Okay, I'll get up and start calling them. Keep me posted on how soon they might release her. I figure I'd better tell everyone that we're doing it in two days, just to be safe."

"Right. Talk to you later today, after I get up."

"Okay, sleep well. Man, I'm so excited! I've been dreaming of this for years, I know you have too."

"Yeah, I'm been waiting a long time for this. She's finally going to get what she deserves. Talk to you later."

"Bye."

She folded the cell and slipped in back into her pocket, heading home.


	6. Chapter 21 to 25

Chapter 21

Something was poking him, disturbing his rest. Irritably, Severus swatted at whatever it was, muttering something both profane and unintelligible.

"Time to wake up, grumpy." The voice was cheerful, and irritatingly familiar.

He opened one eye to see Ana perched on the bed, leaning over him with a smirk on her face.

He grimaced and shifted in the bed, sucking in his breath at the pain.

"Should I call the nurse?" She asked, sudden concern in her face. "Are you hurting?"

"It's not that bad." He sighed. "Merlin, I am quite weary of people trying to kill me. It's becoming rather tedious."

"The Healer says it will probably be a week yet in Hospital for you," Ana sighed sadly, taking his hand and intertwining her fingers with his. "But they're going to release me tomorrow."

"It's just as well," Severus said, giving her an encouraging smile. "I'm sure that…Mother needs a break from Nina, and at least one of us needs to be with her. I'll be fine here."

"I'll miss you terribly." She said softly, leaning down to kiss him gently.

"I know." He sighed when she broke off the kiss. "How do you feel?"

"Like a piñata at a birthday party." She smiled. "My ribs are still a bit sore, but that will pass."

Taking out her wand, she widened the bed a bit, and then lay down beside him.

"You're going to get in trouble." He smirked. "This isn't the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts, you know. Unauthorized alterations of the furniture are frowned upon here."

"So? You're my husband now." She smirked back, and then snuggled up to him, her head on his shoulder, his arm sliding around her back. "I'll change it back when I leave."

"Insufferable witch." He said with a contented sigh, closing his eyes.

oOo

"Ready to go home?" Sarah Williams said cheerily, pushing a wheelchair into Ana's hospital room.

"I guess so." Ana said reluctantly.

"Oh, don't fret, Professor. It shouldn't be but a week or so before your husband can go home, too. I'll make sure he behaves himself so he heals up quickly."

Ana laughed at that, Severus' difficulty as a patient having become a regular joke between her and the young medi-witch.

"I knew him by reputation, but I never had him as a Professor," Sarah said, helping Ana dress in robes that Minerva had brought for her from Hogwarts, "is he always this difficult?"

"You have no idea how difficult he can be." Ana replied, tucking her wand into its hidden pocket in her sleeve. "Trust me, he's behaving himself now. Just be on your toes; he's very good at wandless and nonverbal magic."

"Well, you're ready to check out." Sarah said, helping Ana sit down in the wheelchair. "Headmistress McGonagall said she could take you in side-along apparition, but if you don't feel up to it, she also brought a portkey."

"Where is she?" Ana frowned.

"No idea. Shall I roll you down to the lobby? Perhaps she's down there."

"Yes, please. I really need to get back to Hogwarts to check on my daughter."

With sure hands and a steady pace, the young medi-witch carefully pushed Ana down the hallway in the wheelchair, heading for the elevator.

"I'll certainly miss our chats, Professor."

"As will I, Sarah." Ana sighed, smiling. "It was nice to see you again."

Sarah backed the wheelchair into the elevator and pushed the button for the lobby.

"Well, here." Sarah said, handing Ana a slip of parchment. "Here is my cell number. I'd love to visit with you again, anytime. Just give me a call if you're in town, or send me an owl."

Ana tucked the slip in the pocket of her robe, wincing slightly at the slight movement required. Despite a dose of Skele-Gro, her ribs were still tender.

_It's going to be a lot of fun picking up Nina for a few weeks_, she sighed to herself. _Breathing isn't so bad now, but anything involving picking things up…_

With a soft chime, the elevator doors opened, and Sarah carefully pushed the wheelchair into the lobby, which seemed unusually crowded to Ana. Stopping the wheelchair in the middle of the room, the young medi-witch walked past her a few feet, then turned to face her. Uneasily, Ana put her hand on her wand, which was in her sleeve.

"Wait!" Sarah said quickly, holding up her hand. "Please don't hex anyone!"

Ana watched from her wheelchair, surprised, as nearly everyone in the lobby turned toward her.

"What…what is this?" Ana said nervously. Only the timely appearance of Harry Potter, as well as Ginny and Headmistress McGonagall, kept her from readying a hex.

"Some people who wanted to see you before you left, Professor." Sarah said gently. "Marie?"

A petite blond girl with blue eyes, who could have been not more than seven years old, perhaps, came forward with a small box.

"Go ahead, Marie." Sarah said to the little girl, giving her a gentle push toward Ana. Her eyes wide, her chin trembling, the girl hesitantly walked toward Ana's wheelchair.

"P-professor…" Marie said shyly, so faintly that Ana could barely hear her, "My name is Marie Penninger. My daddy is Martin Penninger. Th-thank you for saving my daddy."

Ana sat there, speechless. Sarah walked up and put a hand on Marie's shoulder reassuringly, smiling at her.

"Professor," She said, wiping away a tear, "We are the survivors of the October 4th dormitory fire at Beauxbartons. While not all of us could be here, I wanted to tell you that 93 of the 140 students and staff in the dorm that night survived, thanks to you.

"We debated at length what we should do for you, and we decided to do two things to honor your bravery: first, we are establishing a trust fund for a scholarship in your name, to be granted to one deserving student per semester in perpetuity, based on either the student's financial need, or an act of selfless bravery; second, we would like to present you with this book."

Taking the box and placing it in Ana's hands, she opened the lid. Inside was a leather bound book, marked on the cover in simple, elegant gilt script, 'With Undying Gratitude.'

Numbly, Ana opened it, acutely aware of the crowd's eyes upon her. Line after line jumped out at her as she slowly turned the pages of the book.

_Dear Professor Romanov, thank you for saving my life that night…_

_Were it not for your actions, my wife would not have lived to marry me…_

_I often tell my daughter that you are the bravest witch…_

_I owe you my life. Every day that I wake, I thank the gods that you were there…_

_Professor, your selfless sacrifice made sure that we would live…_

Finally, when she could read no more, she looked up at the crowd. One man in a wheelchair, magically operated as he had no hands, save for what remained of his right. Twin boys, shyly peeking around their mother at her, their mother's face and hands marred by scars so like her own. As she examined the crowd of people further, she realized that many of them bore scars of some varying degree.

With a faint hum, the man in the magical wheelchair glided forward, stopping for a moment so that Marie could hop up in his lap.

"Professor Romanov," He smiled cheekily, hugging Marie with the stump of his left arm, while the two fingers left on his right hand brought the chair to a smooth stop only a few feet away from Ana. "I'm Martin Penninger. I don't know if you remember me, I taught Arithmancy, I'd just started that fall that we were attacked. My wife and I were trapped in the dorms with the students when the Fiendfyre hit.

"Jeanne, wasn't it?" Ana said softly. "Is she…"

"Right here, Professor," Jeanne said as she made her way through the crowd, holding a very young baby to her shoulder on a towel. "Sorry, Marcel was hungry, and he's not very patient…I was in the loo nursing him."

"It's alright, Jeanne," Ana sighed, thinking of Nina and Severus. "I have a daughter of my own."

Jeanne gave Martin a uneasy glance.

"Professor, is it true?" She whispered fearfully. "What that awful woman published in The Daily Prophet?"

Ana sat up straight in her wheelchair, her throat suddenly tight, feeling much like she'd swallowed a stone. She closed her eyes for a moment, struggling to control her temper as it threatened to rage out of control.

When she opened her eyes, they were hard as flint, and about the same shade.

"Marie, sweetheart," Ana said gently, keeping a tight rein on herself, "there's some pretty tropical fish over there in the aquarium. Could you leave me alone with your parents for a moment? Please?"

The girl nodded, slipping off her father's lap to go look at the fish in the small aquarium near the welcome witch's desk. When Ana looked back at the Penningers, they were both rather pale, especially Jeanne, who had plenty of experience with this particular side of Professor Romanov.

"_Sonorus_." Ana said, casting the amplifying charm on her voice.

"I suppose you are referring to my husband, Professor Severus Snape." She said coldly, her voice reverberating throughout the lobby.

"Oh, Merlin..." Minerva sighed, walking quickly toward Ana. "This is bad."

"Come on, Harry." Ginny said urgently, tugging on his arm and following the Headmistress.

"As much as I appreciate this honor, especially the creation of the scholarship in my name, I must refuse it." Ana said, modulating the charm a bit, her voice shaking with anger.

"As you all know, I married the infamous former Death Eater and reputed right hand of the Dark Lord, Severus Snape, in July of this year, as was reported in the Daily Prophet. That much is true. I love my husband very much, and we have a beautiful daughter.

"I'm sure that most of you are quite familiar with the…accuracy of Ms. Skeeter's reporting, her flair for the sensational. With her tendency to…shall we say, stretch the truth a bit?"

A chuckle erupted from the back of the crowd, which otherwise was silent.

"Now that I have your full attention, I will explain why I refuse to accept your honors." Ana continued, her voice a bit unsteady, raw with emotion that seethed just under the surface.

"I turned from the fighting to go to the dormitory, which had been set on fire, because you and your fellow students were trapped there. I broke down the door, as best I could, trying to get you out." She paused, wiping away a stray tear, fighting to keep herself calm.

"I was unable to save some of you." Ana went on, blinking away tears. "I'm happy that so many of you were able to get out, and had I known the price I would pay with…my body for my efforts beforehand, I would gladly do the same thing again without hesitation."

The lobby was deathly quiet, all eyes trained on her. She pressed on.

"All of that said, what I did was nothing. I only did what any decent wizard or witch in my place would have done. That's all."

A quiet murmur swept through the crowd, until Sarah raised her hands, confusion on her face.

"Professor…" She said, eyes wide in shock, "You are our heroine, our savior…how could it be nothing?"

For a moment, Ana said nothing, only toying with her simple gold wedding ring.

"Because," She replied finally, raising her eyes to the crowd defiantly. "I saved only a few, compared to Severus. Ninety-three of you I saved, but what is that compared to how many lives he saved through his dedication and selfless actions? Anyone care to guess how many? Millions, possibly billions, for the Dark Lord would not have stopped with the few who died during the war. He would have wiped out the Muggles, as much as we make fun of them, or worse. Then it would have been the disloyal among the wizarding population, everyone not willing to kiss the hem of his robes!"

"Tell me, what rewards has Severus Snape received for his actions? Death threats, lawsuits, rotten cabbages! We were in Berkshire only a month ago, shopping for Christmas for our daughter and our friends, when two of our fine fellow wizards threw rotten vegetables at him!

"He never expected any reward. Ever. He only did what he believed to be the right thing, guided by Albus Dumbledore. As a Death Eater, at the orders of the Dark Lord, he committed horrible crimes, it is true. But he did so much good, in hopes of somehow redeeming himself, by helping to defeat the Dark Lord.

"The only reward he ever sought…" She said, her voice faltering, tears streaming down her face, "…was…was the release of death. But even that was denied him."

By now Ana was shaking with rage, the crowd seemingly petrified before her scathing words. Minerva stepped up to her and placed a restraining hand gently on her shoulder, leaning down to her ear.

"Ana," Minerva whispered, "Please…enough. You can't repair all of the damage to Severus' reputation in just a few minutes. Please, calm down."

"It's not fair, Minerva." The younger witch sobbed, sagging in the wheelchair. "It's just not fair! He's still in a hospital bed upstairs, suffering from injuries that were inflicted by a follower of the Dark Lord, and I'm being honored?"

Hesitantly, Sarah came forward to kneel before Ana's wheelchair, her face somber.

"Professor?" She said, her eyes full of concern. "I…I'm sorry we upset you."

Harry and Ginny moved to stand protectively on either side of Ana, with Harry retrieving his hanky and offering it to her. Mumbling a soft 'thank you,' she wiped at her eyes, still trembling from with anger.

"Ana-" Minerva said, her face full of concern.

"Just get me home." Ana sobbed, "I have to get out of here. I want to go home. I just want to go home."

oOo

By the third day she was back at Hogwarts, Ana was exhausted. Between taking care of Nina, teaching her classes, preparing for Christmas, and apparating to the hospital to visit Severus, her body and nerves were nearly shot. Worse yet, she'd nearly fainted at breakfast that morning, leading Minerva to order her to go to the Hospital wing to see Poppy.

"I certainly hope it's not that I'm pregnant again," She grumbled as the medi-witch ran her wand over her body. "I do believe that might be the last straw right now."

"Oh, no, dear," Poppy said genially, finishing up her scans. "You're just tired, your iron is low, and you need to eat better. Just the usual problems you tend to have."

Ana scowled at Poppy's back as the medi-witch went to the potions cabinet. Just as she suspected, one of the vial she brought back had the too familiar reddish-brown color of iron.

"Is that an iron supplement?" She sighed. "That stuff tastes awful."

"Indeed it is, and you're going to take it, young lady." Poppy said calmly, handing her the vial. "You need to stay well. Once Severus is released, you'll have even more to do. Lucky thing that the students will be headed home on holiday."

With a grimace, Ana drank the potion, shuddering at the taste.

She didn't mention the blood on her pillow that morning to Poppy.

_Just a nosebleed_, she told herself. _Not a big deal._

oOo

"Come in!" Ana called out, quickly buttoning up her blouse after nursing Nina in their sitting room. The door opened and Madam Pince came in, followed by Minerva.

"Hello, make yourselves comfortable." She smiled, gesturing to the couch, Nina already falling asleep in her arms. "I just need to put her down for her nap."

"Take your time, dear." Madam Pince said, taking a seat on the couch.

When Ana came back, the two older women were having tea, engrossed in idle conversation.

"I apologize; it took a bit longer to get her settled than usual." She said, sitting down in Severus' armchair and pouring herself a cup of tea.

"Really, Ana! It's not a problem, not at all." Minerva smiled, picking up a shortbread cookie.

"What did you find out at the hospital today?" Madam Pince asked.

"Tomorrow, definitely." Ana said cheerfully, sipping her tea. "The Healer said that he's doing well, that he's been a model patient. I think he's just willing to do anything they ask so he can come home."

"I'm sure." Minerva said with a smirk. Turning serious, she gave Ana a hard look. "How was the rest of your trip?"

"I…I don't follow you." Ana said nervously.

"Did you see Sarah Williams?"

Ana frowned, her eyes darkening, then shook her head.

"Ana, you need to talk to her." The Headmistress said softly. "She's owled me four times just this week, apologizing for that…incident at the hospital."

"I just can't talk to them, Headmistress." Ana sighed. "I…I feel like they want to honor me, but ignore Severus. It just doesn't feel right to me."

"Perhaps you should invite her to Hogwarts," Madam Pince said, setting her empty teacup down on the coffee table to be whisked away by the house elf.

"What for?"

"I wasn't there, but from what I've heard," the older woman went on, "it sounds like it was just too much at one time for you. Owl her today, invite her to visit. Don't just sweep this under the rug."

"But Severus will be here-"

"Exactly." Madam Pince said, "She needs to talk to him too, to see what he's like now. You've changed him, Ana, and for the better."

"I don't see what good it would do." Ana said softly. "He's still going to be treated as a pariah. He doesn't want to be honored, he doesn't want to be hated, and he just wants a normal life with Nina and me."

She looked at Madam Pince, then Minerva, her chin trembling, her eyes moist with tears.

"I can't understand why people don't understand it." Ana said, producing a hanky to blot her eyes. "We're just veterans of an ugly war. We did what needed to be done, and we were lucky to survive. I didn't do anything special. Things like that little award ceremony at the hospital…it's like alcohol poured on a raw wound. I just want to move on with my life, to forget about…about the war."

"Just consider inviting her here." Minerva sighed. "Or meeting her somewhere, perhaps Hogsmeade. I believe she is sincere, that she is sorry that she upset you, that her intentions were good. You should tell her what you just told us."

"Haven't I done enough damage?"

"Nonsense, young lady." Minerva said, patting Ana on the knee. "If you talk to her, I think she'll understand why you feel as you do. Do it for Severus."

"What do you mean, do it for Severus?" Ana asked, puzzled.

"Well, her last two owls, she told me that she'd been talking with him a bit. Somehow, that doesn't sound like she sees Severus as a pariah. Anyway, she said she'd like to talk to you sometime."

"I…I'm not sure I can do that."

"Give it a try." Madam Pince said cheerfully. "After all, you tamed Severus Snape, this shouldn't scare you a bit."

"I'm not so sure I tamed him, Irma." Ana said with a crooked smile.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 22

January 10, 2000~

"It's good to be home, isn't it?" Ana sighed, walking beside Severus as he silently rolled along the hallway in his wheelchair.

"I despise this infernal contraption."

"Nonsense." She smirked. "You know very well that if my father hadn't built that, your hands would be worn down to the bones by now, or worse, you'd be stuck in our rooms. Besides, it's only for another week, until your legs heal up. You don't want to tear any of the stiches out swooping down the hallways, terrorizing poor students."

"They are in need of terrorizing." He smirked back. "I've heard that the Potions Professor is sadly lacking for that quality since giving birth to an adorable baby girl. No time to properly scare the students, not when she is full of motherly love. I hear that some students believe that Professor Romanov has been kidnapped, and replaced by a kinder, gentler doppelgänger."

Ana stuck out her tongue at him, swatting him on the shoulder.

"I'll give you some 'motherly love', alright." She threatened playfully, waving her fist in his face. "Right in your big nose."

"You call that scary? That fist is nigh the tiniest one I've ever seen."

"Greasy old dungeon bat."

"Ice queen."

"Careful with that tongue, Mr. Snape, or I'll have you writing lines for me." She said, grabbing the handles on the back of his wheelchair and rolling him into a side passage, where she slid into his lap to kiss him hungrily.

"Oh my…" He gasped when she allowed him to breathe again. "It seems that Professor Romanov has missed me."

"You have no idea, моя дорогая." Ana whispered huskily, nipping gently at his earlobe. "Я хочу, чтобы вернуть вас в нашу спальню, копировать ваши одежды от ..."

"Ahem."

Ana closed her eyes tightly, sagging against Severus in defeat with a sigh.

"Professor Romanov," Headmistress McGonagall said sternly, "while there are no students in the halls in this area of the castle, there are students on the grounds. Do you think you could possibly restrain yourself from ravishing your husband until you get back to your quarters?"

Ana opened her eyes to find Severus smirking at her. Shooting him a nasty glare, she got up from his lap with as much dignity as she could muster and turned to the headmistress.

"I apologize, Headmistress." She sighed, straightening her sleeves. "I suppose I got carried away in the moment."

"I have some letters for you." Minerva said crisply, holding a sheaf of envelopes out to Ana. "Did you talk to Sarah Williams yet?"

"No, I was busy with bringing my husband back to Hogwarts." Ana said irritably, taking the letters.

She scanned the names, rapidly sorting through the various envelopes.

_Martin Penninger. Sarah Williams. Marie Bannon. Another from Martin Penniger. Another from Sarah, and a third, with 'please owl me' scrawled across the back. _ She sighed, tucking them into a pocket of her robes.

"I know you don't feel that you deserve the honor," Severus said gently, taking her hand in his, "but they don't mean to slight me. I really don't care what people think of me, dear. I did what I had to do, and I just want to live the rest of my life quietly."

"Not much chance of that, I fear." Minerva smirked, crossing her arms across her chest and looking at Ana. "Your darling Nina has had her grandmother pretty busy while you were gone to fetch your husband."

"Oh, Merlin…"Ana sighed, "What has she done now?"

"Well…" Minerva smiled, "I think that your sitting room may be habitable sometime after dinner. I assigned six of the house elves to repair the damage-mostly flour and soot-"

"Soot?!" Ana gasped, turning a bit pale.

"Well…there was a tiny fire involved." The Headmistress chuckled, patting Ana's shoulder reassuringly. "It didn't burn too long."

"О, боги ... что я буду делать с этой девушкой ..." Ana sighed, rubbing her eyes wearily.

oOo

March 18, 2000~

"I'm glad that you finally chose to meet with me, Professor." Sarah Williams said as she sat down on the couch in the Snapes' sitting room. Ana sat across from her in Severus' favorite leather armchair.

"You've been very persistent." Ana smiled thinly, dropping a cube of sugar in her tea and quietly dismissing the house elf. "I guess I could avoid you no longer once my husband started in on me."

"Oh…sorry about that…" The younger woman said nervously. "I…he's really very nice, once you get to know him. I never had a chance to talk to him before, so I just knew him by reputation, by what others said about him…I'm sorry. I was mistaken about him. He's really a very good man. I hope you don't feel like I-"

"It's alright. If Severus felt we should meet, then I suppose I might have been in the wrong."

Sarah sipped her tea nervously.

"I still do not feel that what I did was anything other than what any decent witch or wizard would have done had they been in my situation." Ana said softly.

"I understand that, Professor." Sarah said. "At the same time, we survivors are grateful to you, as we would have been to anyone who would have done what you did. We didn't mean it as a slight to Professor Snape. "

"I know."

"We've discussed it, and we'd like to do what we can to restore his reputation. Do you think he would cooperate?"

"I doubt it, Sarah." Ana sighed. "He's a very private person, and he'd really prefer that the wizarding world just forget about him. He doesn't want honors, or glory, or riches. But he would like to be able to go out in public without fear of someone throwing rotten vegetables at him, or hexing him from behind."

"Would you consent to our conducting a quiet campaign to make people stop?" Sarah asked hesitantly.

"Yes, though I think it wise not to mention it to him." Ana said, taking a sip of her tea. "He would prefer to be left alone."

When Sarah left, Ana felt a sense of relief. Perhaps the group of 'October 4th survivors', as they often referred to themselves, could help a bit, perhaps not. They still planned to go ahead with the scholarship program; Ana saw no harm in that.

_Merlin knows,_ she thought,_ there are enough orphans these days after the war._

She leaned against the heavy oak door, closing her eyes.

_I feel so tired these days_, she thought wearily. _If I go see Poppy, she'll insist on my taking that wretched tasting Blood-Replenishment potion, no doubt._

Retrieving her hanky from the pocket of her robes, Ana dabbed at her nose. She frowned at the spot of blood on it before folding it and putting it away.

With a sigh, she went to the nursery to feed Nina before dinner.

oOo

September 14, 2000~

"How long have you been feeling poorly, dear?" Poppy asked quietly, once she removed the thermometer from Ana's mouth. She frowned at it, then noted down the temperature in Ana's file.

"Several months." Ana sighed, wiping her nose with her hanky. "Really, I guess, for the past six months…it comes and goes. Yesterday was the first time…I fainted. I haven't fainted in a long time, not since…since Severus was poisoned."

"Yes, and you scared those first years half to death when you hit your head on the desk, when you fainted yesterday." The medi-witch replied. "How is your head today?"

Ana unconsciously touched the bump on her head, wincing. Severus had a fit when he'd examined it last night, insisting that she see Poppy as soon as morning came.

"Still tender, Poppy."

"I'm sure." The older woman sighed, taking her wand out of her apron pocket. "I need to run some tests on you."

"It's probably just some sort of virus, Poppy." Ana laughed nervously. "Some Pepper-Up potion, and I'll be fine."

Before Ana could react, Poppy plucked her hanky from her hand, examining it closely. Finally, the Medi-witch looked sharply at her, holding the hanky out to her.

"How often does this happen?" Poppy asked sternly, pointing at the bloodstains.

Ana cringed.

"I…not that often, really, Poppy." She blurted out. "No more than a few times a week-"

"Ana, I need to take some blood." Poppy said grimly. "That's far too often. We need to find out what the problem is, and soon."

Ana hesitated, and then took out her wand, using it to unbutton her right sleeve to bare her pale, thin forearm. Poppy frowned, gently taking her arm and examining it closely.

"How did you get these bruises?" Asked the Medi-witch, pointing her wand at them. "_Revelio iniuriam_."

"_Finite incantatem!_" Ana blushed, her voice trembling in panic. "Poppy, I'll tell you what happened-"

"Severus didn't hit you, did he?" Poppy asked sharply.

"Oh, no, nothing like that." Ana blushed. "It's just…I…um…I got a bit carried away…when we…well, I just seem to bruise so easily lately…"

"Ana, there's nothing to be embarrassed about." Poppy sighed. "He's your husband, and whatever you like, and how you like it, is none of my business. I'm only concerned about the bruises."

The blush on Ana's face deepened somewhat in colour, spreading down her neck as she cringed in her chair. _Ah, youth, _Poppy smiled to herself.

Taking Ana's arm gently, she began to run her wand over the bruises, murmuring softly in Latin as they disappeared. After a long while, she frowned.

"Ana…" The older woman said softly, "Have you noticed anything unusual? Other than feeling tired, the bruises and the nosebleeds?"

"Poppy, I'm always tired." Ana laughed weakly. "I have a one year old child who is already showing signs of magic ability. It's all I can do to keep her out of mischief."

"I'm sure you certainly get plenty of exercise." Poppy smiled. "How is your appetite?"

"Fine." Ana said, shifting uncomfortably under the sharp gaze of the Medi-witch.

"Well, you've lost more weight than you should have, especially since giving birth."

"Most women would be happy about that." Ana laughed uneasily, still avoiding Poppy's eyes.

"I need you to undress from the waist up so I can examine you."

With a sigh, Ana grudgingly complied.

"I hope this won't take long." She grumbled, slipping out of her robes and unbuttoning her blouse.

oOo

January 5, 2001~

Ana lay in their bed, staring out the window into the darkness, watching the fat snowflakes drift lazily past.

"Can't sleep?" Severus asked softly, his breath tickling her ear.

Ana smiled, then sighed and turned over, snuggling closer to his warmth as his arms slipped around her. She caught one of his hands, pulling it to her lips, giving his knuckles an affectionate kiss.

"No." She whispered. Nina had been rather reluctant to go to bed, and she felt rather restless herself. "I'm exhausted, but I can't stop thinking."

"What's on your mind?" He asked, gently caressing her back with his free hand.

"I'm scared, Severus." She said, rolling over to face him, her hands on his chest.

"Why?"

"Poppy can't figure out what's wrong with me." Ana whispered, nervously toying with the hair on his chest. "Now she wants to send me to London, to have blood work done and see a specialist there."

"I'll be with you."

"I know."

He held her a long time, gently caressing her back long after she finally drifted off to a restless slumber. Listening to the steady tick-tock of the grandfather clock down the hall in the study, the muted noises of the castle around them, the muted static of the baby monitor on Ana's night stand beside the bed.

"I'm scared, too." Severus whispered to the dark bedroom as Ana shivered in her sleep.

oOo

June 25, 2001~

"Professor Romanov-…Snape?" The Medi-witch called out into the waiting room, with only the slightest hesitation over the latter name.

"Yes, right here." Ana said, smiling at Severus bravely when he gently squeezed her hand just before she rose from her seat. They followed the young Medi-witch back to the Healer's office, with the Medi-witch closing the door behind her as she left.

"Professors," Nodded the Healer as they took their chairs before the desk. Healer Plumstead was a rail-thin older man with a bald head and thick sideburns, with a set of reading glasses perched on his nose as he intently examined the lab results in Ana's file. "I trust the hotel we arranged for you was satisfactory? You slept well?"

"Yes, Healer Plumstead. It was quite comfortable." Ana said, a hint of her apprehension in her voice. Severus covered her hand with his own, interlacing his slender fingers with hers.

"Excellent." The older wizard said, closing the file and leaning back in his chair. "Well, I have good news for you. Your lab tests indicate that the new potion seems to be effective. Your white blood cell count is still a bit high, but everything else seems normal. I'm going to give you some of the Muggle antibiotics, just in case you have a minor infection that is trying to hang on to you.

"Also, you'll need to keep taking the blood-replenisher potion." Plumstead chuckled when Ana made a sour face. "Yes, my dear, I know it tastes awful. It's the iron in it. As a potions mistress, I'm sure you understand."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it." Ana sighed, giving a sidelong glance at Severus.

"We still haven't found out why you are having these symptoms, so I'd like you to come back in three months for a checkup. I apologize for the inconvenience, but I'm not convinced that whatever this is has been fully resolved."

"But…I feel so much better." Ana protested, glancing briefly at Severus. "Except for being sick again this morning…"

"Ah, but there's a good reason for that, my dear." Plumstead smiled kindly. "It appears that you're pregnant. Congratulations to you both."

Both Ana and Severus sat there in shock.

"But…what about the other symptoms I'm having?" Ana asked, her voice shaky. "The nosebleeds, the bruising, the-"

"That could be due to the increased demands on your body due to the growing fetus." The Healer said, steepling his fingers. "All the same, we will carefully monitor your health throughout the pregnancy. Have your Healer stay in touch with my office, and report anything unusual. We'll see you every three months to check how you're doing and repeat the lab tests."

oOo

"Mama!" Nina squealed, toddling over to grab Ana around her knees. Madam Pince came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on a flannel.

"Well? How did it go?" Madam Pince asked.

"I'm pregnant." Ana said weakly, as she steadied herself on the kitchen table.

"I knew it." The older woman smiled, reaching down to straighten a bow in Nina's untidy mop of black hair. "All that fuss and bother for nothing!"

"Where's my princess?" Severus said, eliciting a squeal of glee from his daughter as she toddled toward him, her arms outstretched to him.

Once Severus had scooped up Nina, tossing her up and catching her as she squealed with delight, Ana pulled Madam Pince back into the kitchen.

"They still don't know what's wrong with me." Ana whispered urgently. "The blood tests came back inconclusive. My white blood cell count is higher than normal, my platelets are low, my iron is low, but for me, that's normal-"

"Ana." Madam Pince said gently, taking her daughter-in-law's hand. "I'm here to help you with Nina, and with the next child, when they arrive. You take care of yourself; do what the Healer tells you to. There's no sense in worrying over something like this. You may not know what is ailing you, but you have a baby to take care of now, along with your family."

"Irma, I'm frightened." Ana sighed, sitting down at the small table in the kitchen. "They only thing they confirmed is that I'm pregnant, and that's one more thing to worry about. We haven't heard anything from Dolohov and his bunch of misfits, and who knows what they might have planned by now-"

"Ana, listen to me." Madam Pince said, taking her hand. "Knowing that bunch, they're probably hiding from the Aurors, not daring to come near Hogwarts. You and your family are safe as can be here."

"But it's like a prison. We don't dare go outside, to Hogsmeade, or to London, without constantly being on our guard."

"But at least it's a refuge. Why don't you floo Ginny, find out if Harry's any closer to catching them?"

"I will." Ana said, rising from her chair. "I need to check with her on some documents and other things related to our project."

"I'll keep an eye on Nina and her father." Madame Pince said cheerfully. "He doesn't need to get her so riled up. It's too close to her bedtime."

oOo

Once in the sitting room, Ana crossed to the hearth. Taking a handful of floo powder, she tossed it into the flames and waited until the flames turned green.

"Harry Potter residence." She said confidently. "Ginny, are you there?"

"Um…just a moment, Professor."

Ana smirked and folded her arms across her chest, her smile becoming bigger the longer it took for Ginny to come to the fireplace.

"I'm here, Professor." Ginny's face finally appeared in the green flames. "How did you guess I was here? I have the calculations finished for most of the _Protego_ refinements-"

"Intuition, dear." Ana smiled. "Is Harry there, too? I have some questions for him also."

"I'm right here, Professor." Harry said, his face appearing just about Ginny's shoulder. "I promise that I won't keep her up too late tonight-oof!"

Harry's face blurred, then became clearer.

"Harry!" Ginny blushed.

"Never mind all that," Ana laughed, then became serious. "I need to ask Harry something, assuming he's recovered."

"Right here, Professor."

"Have you any news as to Dolohov's whereabouts?" Ana asked anxiously.

"Well, officially, no." Harry said, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "But you may see something in The Prophet fairly soon. Not that I can tell you anything, mind you, can't say anything about the case, but…he's in custody. You didn't hear it from me, though."

Ana was speechless for a moment.

"Professor?"

"What about his bunch of thugs? Like that blonde woman who attacked Severus and I in London?"

"That's why the hush-hush." Harry explained. "We're working on rounding them up before they know we have their leader. As I said, the story will be released sometime next week."

"Well, this is very good news." Ana said, looking around the room to make sure she was alone. "May I tell Severus?"

"You may, but tell him to keep it quiet. We don't want to risk tipping anyone off."

"Believe me, I won't tell a soul." Ana said grimly. "The last thing I want is for any of those rats to escape the net."

oOo

Author's notes-

"моя дорогая" : "my darling"

"Я хочу, чтобы вернуть вас в нашу спальню, копировать ваши одежды от ...": "I want to get you back to our bedroom, rip your robes off..."

"О, боги ... что я буду делать с этой девушкой ...": "Oh, gods…what am I going to do with that girl…"

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 23

August 10, 2001~

"No!"

"Young lady, you will not speak to me like that!" Ana snapped, towering over Nina in the sitting room. "As I said, there will be no more magic!"

"You and daddy do magic! Why can't I do magic?" Nina sniffled, her grey eyes welling up with tears.

"What on earth is going on in here?" Severus frowned as he came in, setting several packages down on the end table near his arm chair.

"This!" Ana said, holding up Nina's teddy. Or what remained of it.

Most of the head was scorched coal black, with one arm missing, as was one of his button eyes. As his wife held it in front of him, Severus found himself concealing a smirk as one of teddy's legs detached itself and fell to the floor, trailing a bit of stuffing.

"Daddy!" Nina wailed, running to him and grabbing his leg, burying her face in his black robes.

Ana huffed, giving Severus an exasperated glare.

"Darling, mummy's right." Severus said patiently, scooping his daughter up. "Magic can be dangerous. Look at what happened to poor Teddy there."

Nina quieted, looking over at the remains of the stuffed animal.

"How about we make some potions after dinner, just you and I, hum?" Severus said, paying no mind to Ana giving a sigh of disgust and rolling her eyes heavenward. "Mum's tired, and she needs a break. But no more magic, not on your own. It's just too dangerous, Nina."

He knelt and placed her on her feet in front of him. Nina looked up at her father with somber eyes, still puffy from crying.

"Promise Daddy you won't do magic by yourself, not until I tell you that you can. Please."

Nina nodded.

"Okay. I won't do magic." She said softly, her voice sad and forlorn, her eyes on the floor.

Severus smiled gently.

"It won't be forever, Nina. I promise." He said, brushing a stray lock of curly auburn hair behind her ear. "Now, go wash up and get that soot off before dinner. After dinner, we'll make some potions, and you can help. I'll even let you stir this time, if you can follow my instructions exactly."

Nina smiled shyly.

"I get to stir?" She asked softly.

Severus nodded.

"You're the best dad ever!" Nina bubbled, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

"Run along, now, go wash up." Severus said, disentangling himself and giving her a gentle push toward the loo.

Severus stood up, turning toward Ana, who was standing by the fireplace. Her arms were crossed, her face a neutral mask, though her eyes were like flint as she glared into the flames.

"How are you, dear?" He asked gently, walking over to her to run his hand down her back to her waist.

"Awful." She sighed, leaning slightly back into him. "My back is already starting to hurt, and I'm only four months along. If this is what it's going to be like with this one, I imagine I'm going to be absolutely miserable by my delivery date."

"Right here?" Severus asked, gently probing her lower back with his slender fingers.

"Oh…yes." Ana said, nearly swooning in relief, bracing herself with her hands against the stone mantel. "Lower…a bit to the right. There. That's where it hurts the most."

Deftly, he worked to get the knotted muscle in her lower back to relax. She closed her eyes with a sigh.

"You spoil her." Ana said accusingly, though without much heat in her voice. "You indulge her too much."

"It would seem that I spoil you, too. Nina wants to do magic, like mum and dad." He sighed. "She's going to do it anyway, so it's best that we make a deal with her to only do it under our supervision."

"I suppose you're right." She conceded grudgingly. "But it's far too early for her. She doesn't have enough control of her power, she uses too much and blasts a hole in something, or starts a fire-"

"Which is why I will take her with me to my lab, distract her by making potions with her. I'll even let her do some magic there, get her good and tired so she'll go right to bed. You're trying to do too much, to handle everything yourself, dear. You're going to wear yourself out."

Ana stuck her tongue out at him petulantly.

"You know it's true. My mother loves to take care of Nina, and she's perfectly able to keep her out of trouble. Why not let her take her in the afternoons?"

"Oh, I don't want to impose on her. She has things she'd like to do, too."

"Well, usually she's quite willing to put that aside for Nina." Severus smirked, brushing a stray lock of hair out of Ana's face, his hand lingering for a moment on her cheek.

"I'm serious, Ana." He said softly. "I don't want you to exhaust yourself, to bring harm to yourself or the baby. You need to let others do things for you."

"I'm not helpless, Severus." She sighed, pulling away from him.

"No, you're not, and that's part of the problem. You can do so many things, and you don't accept that others can do them as well, so you try to do everything yourself. You end up running yourself ragged, and then-"

"I get it, Severus." She grumbled. "I need to let other people take care of things for me."

"I just don't want anything to happen to you." He said, pulling her toward him, into his embrace.

"Nothing's going to happen to me." Ana sighed, relaxing into his arms.

oOo

September 3, 2001~

Fall term proved busy, with a full enrollment at Hogwarts. Ana found herself teaching five sections of Beginning potions, staggering them through the work week, but ending up having to use two of her planning periods to teach extra classes. Severus, Minerva, and Poppy lectured her constantly about not doing too much, though she brushed it off as nonsense. Finally, after being cornered in the staff meeting room after lunch, she gave in.

"I don't see why this is necessary." Ana huffed.

"It is necessary because you are not following healer's orders." Poppy replied, checking the baby's heart rate with her wand. "Little Marcus is rather upset with you."

"Marcus?" Severus said, raising an eyebrow at his wife, who simply smiled and shrugged her shoulders.

"For my step-father." She said, a bit uneasily, recalling the fight they had over Nina's name.

"Hm."

"Don't worry; I won't use…your father's name." She said quickly, hoping to head off trouble. "In fact, you can pick the middle name if you wish."

"Remus." Severus said quietly, eliciting a gasp of surprise from both Poppy and the Headmistress.

"What?" He said irritably, looking at the three women, who were still in a state of shock. "I can't name my son for a colleague?"

Ana sat down in one of the chairs at the table, still uncertain that she'd heard him right.

"Are you alright, dear?" Poppy asked, touching Ana on her shoulder.

Ana nodded.

"Actually, I really feel pretty good lately." She said, smiling at the Medi-witch. "The potions the clinic have put me on help a lot. Other than the constant backache and running to the loo, I'm fine."

"Well, Severus," Minerva said briskly, "I'd like you both to give me a list of your suggestions as to who you think might make a good assistant for Ana, someone who would be good at teaching first years. He or she could take over the first years completely; take some of the stress off of her."

"Of course, Headmistress." Severus nodded. "It will be on your desk by morning."

oOo

"Is this your idea of a joke?" Minerva asked, peering over her reading glasses at Severus.

"No."

She frowned, pursing her lips in thought.

"Headmistress, I think that an assistant professorship, under the gentle tutelage of my wife, would help him blossom into the talented potioneer that lies within him."

"That's two jokes you've made within one sentence, Severus." The Headmistress chuckled.

"What?"

"The comment about your wife and her 'gentle tutelage', for one. She's hardly gentle. If anything, she terrifies her students more than you ever did. Then, there's the phrasing you used, 'blossom.' Neville seemed quite happy at the Stanton greenhouse when I saw him last fall."

"Nonetheless, he is my top choice for the job."

"You despised him! He was terrified of you!" Minerva snapped. "Are you wanting another go at him?"

"No." Severus said calmly, studying his nails. "Mr. Longbottom was lazy in my Potions classes. He showed signs of true promise, but always got sidetracked by one thing or another. I believe that he might see Ana as, shall we say, less threatening than myself?"

"Well, I don't know about that."

"Invite him to meet with you and Ana, offer him the assistant professorship. Go ahead and tell him that he was my first choice for the position."

"What if he refuses?"

"You have five other names on the list."

oOo

September 16, 2001~

"Uh, hello, Professor Snape."

Severus turned to study the tall young man who seemed even more at unease than usual, surrounded as he was by children gaily squealing as they ran around the two men in the garden.

"Longbottom." Snape nodded, extending his hand. Neville looked as if he might faint.

"Oh, come on, Longbottom." Severus sighed. "I put your name in for that assistant professorship, if Minerva didn't bother to tell you."

"Sir, I don't understand why."

"Because you were bloody brilliant in my potions classes. Your grades could have been better, but you had a better grasp of what each ingredient did in a solution than any student I ever taught."

"But you…"

"Longbottom, I was angry with you because you were not doing your best. It wasn't personal, I assure you. I always find it frustrating when students don't reach their potential in my classroom."

"Um…I see." Neville said nervously. "Thank you for inviting me to your daughter's birthday party, Sir."

"Well, my wife invited you." Severus smirked. "I just went along with it, as I often do where she is concerned."

With a flick of his wand, he refilled their cups of punch.

"I know that I was terribly harsh on you when you were my student." Severus said, "But now that you are teaching first-years, I'm sure you understand why."

"Of course, Sir." Neville sighed. "They're so careless. On Thursday, Devlin Norton added cockatrice quills to a solution of bat's wings and essence of murtlap. Thought he'd blow up his cauldron, but I added the right amount of powdered sulfur to balance the pH in time. It was a close one, though."

"Indeed. Did you not give them the correct ingredients?"

"No, I think he was trying to impress a girl. He deliberately picked up the quills, even though they weren't on the list."

"Imagine that."

Across the garden, Ginny Potter nudged Ana slightly as they stood by the punch bowl.

"Would you look at that?" Ginny chuckled. "Neville was terrified of Severus when he was a student, and they're chatting it up like old friends."

"He's really been a lot of help to me, taking over the first-year Potions classes." Ana smiled. "I think that's Severus' way of telling Neville 'thank you'."

oOo

October 10, 2001~

The heavy oak door, bound in iron, slammed open, causing several objects that were rather precariously balanced on the shelf at the back of the DADA classroom to fall. Most of them survived, thanks to carefully placed cushioning charms, but a couple of them broke anyway.

Professor Snape rose from his desk, swooping down on the poor student who had barged in like a bird of prey, his eyes flashing with anger. The class collectively held their breath, cringing away from the boy who way laying on the floor, looking as if he might pass out at any moment.

The first year was completely out of breath, looking as if he would faint. As he struggled to catch his breath enough to form words, he cowered in terror at the feet of the professor he dreaded the most.

"What's the matter with you, boy? Mac Innis, isn't it?" Snape thundered, cross at someone barging into his fifth period class, interrupting the written exam he had been administering.

"Yes…yes…Sir…" Mac Innis gasped, struggling to stand before Professor Snape. "I…Professor Romanov…she…"

"Yes, out with it!" Snape hissed, pulling Mac Innis to his feet, barely able to contain himself. "Did my wife send you up here? What is the rush?"

"Sir…Professor Longbottom sent me…its Professor Romanov, Sir…she passed out again. They've taken her to the Hospital wing, Sir."

"Class dismissed." Snape said curtly as he pushed past the boy to the hallway, breaking into a run just before evaporating in a swirl of black smoke with a _crack_.

oOo

When she awoke, she didn't recognize her surroundings. With effort, Ana lifted her head from the pillow to look around her.

The walls were painted a beige color, with paintings here and there, but it was obvious from the bed she lay in and the IV drip that she was in a hospital, not the Hospital wing. Severus was sitting near the window, his reading glasses that he so despised perched on his nose as he leafed through a copy of Potions Monthly.

"Ah, you're awake." He said, closing the magazine and setting it aside. He got up, walked over to her bed, and took her hand, being careful of the IV needle in the back of her hand.

"How do you feel, dear?" He asked anxiously.

"Tired." She whispered. "Can I have some water?"

"Of course." He turned to the side table, retrieving a cup of ice water with a straw, holding it up to her lips so she could drink.

"What happened?" Ana asked when she finished, sighing as she relaxed back onto her pillow.

"You collapsed during fifth period potions." He replied, carefully sitting next to her on the bed. "Harold Mac Innis nearly killed himself running the whole way to my classroom from the dungeons to tell me.

"Anyway, by the time I got to the classroom, Minerva was already there with Hagrid and Neville. We took you to the Hospital wing, and Poppy flooed the clinic here in Newbridge."

"The clinic?" Ana said absently. She wasn't sure she'd heard right.

"The oncology clinic." Severus said softly. "Healer Plumstead finally figured out what's wrong, dear."

"Oncology…" Ana said softly, her heart sinking. "…that's for…cancer patients."

"Healer Plumstead said it…that you have Acute Myeoblastic Leukemia." He said, wiping at his eyes with his hanky. "He said…it was probably brought on by your exposure to fiendfyre."

She lay there silently, taking it all in.

_Leukemia…_ she thought, and then looked back at him.

With a shock, Ana realized he probably looked as haggard and worn as she'd ever seen him. Unshaven, with black and gray whiskers covering his face, his hair uncombed, deep circles under his bloodshot eyes.

She knew that look. It was the look of a man pushed to the brink, running on his last reserves of mental and physical endurance.

"Come here." She said. "Now."

Severus said nothing, just sat on the bed, his eyes squeezed shut tightly. Ana reached over to him, taking hold of his sleeve and tugging him toward her as he collapsed like a building being demolished, collapsing on himself as he began to sob brokenly.

"Shh…it's alright, darling." She shushed him, holding him as tightly as her weakened body could. After a while, he regained his composure, awkwardly sitting up as he fumbled for a hanky.

"I'm sorry…I…was just so relieved that you finally woke up." Severus said, wiping at his eyes.

"Severus." She said numbly, half dreading the answer. "How long have I been here?"

"Nearly a month." He replied. "Mother is taking care of Nina. I…I apparate to see her every few days or so."

"A month? My classes-"

"Headmistress McGonagall says that you are not to concern yourself with your classes." He sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Assistant Professor Longbottom has taken over your classes, and for now, DADA classes are being taught by Harry Potter. So, I'm not playing hooky. She was a bit put out with me, but she agreed I wasn't much use as a professor when you are here."

"So what happens now?" Ana said, struggling to remain calm. "What about our baby? Am I…going to …"

"He's fine." Severus said, pausing to put away his hanky. "They are presently determining what will be the best course of treatment. The baby…some aspects of the treatment will have to be postponed. They could be harmful to him."

"You need to get some rest." She frowned. "You look awful."

"I'm fine. I'll sleep better tonight now that I've been able to talk to you."

"You mentioned treatments…what kind of treatments?" She asked, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer.

"Healer Plumstead said they tentatively plan to monitor your condition through the course of the pregnancy, give you extra supplements and potions to depress your body's production of white blood cells and boost your immune system as best they can."

"Is there any danger to the baby?" Ana asked nervously.

"None at all, he assures me." He hesitated a bit, and then continued. "It will be after the delivery that they will…the treatment will be more…aggressive."

"I know a bit about leukemia." Ana said quietly. "They'll wait until after the baby is born, then they'll use chemo."

"Yes."

Unconsciously, she ran her fingers down to her collarbone as she thought about how the treatments would be done.

_They'll put a central line in here, into the subclavian vein, because the drugs they'll use are too caustic to put in through a normal IV. Then they'll kill all of my white blood cells. I'll be even weaker than I am now, I'll be vulnerable to infections, and I'll feel even worse than I do now._

_I won't be able to touch Nina…or Severus…_

"Ana? Are you alright?"

She nodded.

"Just thinking."

"About what?"

"The children. I won't be able to care for Nina…"

"Mother and I can take care of her, and Marcus, after he is born."

"I won't be able to nurse him." She said bitterly.

"After you begin treatments…no." Severus' voice was faint. The sun was setting, and Ana watched it slowly fade from the horizon, bathing the world in a rosy glow as she lay in her bed. Severus sat beside her, his hand resting protectively on her belly over their son as she idly traced his hand with her fingers.

"Severus?" She finally said, many long minutes later.

"Yes?"

"Does life ever get easier?"

He pondered that question a long time.

"I don't think so."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 24

November 28, 2001~

Ana stared out the window, hardly seeing the snowflakes as they slowly drifted down, covering the garden in white.

_It's so beautiful. So peaceful._

_This may be the last snow I ever see_, she thought morbidly, shivering a bit.

"Do you want me to warm up your tea, dear?" Madam Pince asked gently.

"What?" Ana said, shaking herself out of her thoughts. "I'm sorry…I was off woolgathering."

Ana pulled the blanket tighter around herself as she watched her mother-in-law warm the tea with her wand, then return to the baby blanket she was knitting. Blue in the main, with threads of Slytherin green and black, scarlet and gold. Nina dozed on the magical play rug at their feet, basking in the warmth from the fireplace.

_I can't seem to keep warm enough_, she thought uneasily. _I'm always so cold, chilled right down to the bone. I've never been like this, not even when I was a child in Russia. And the winter is so much colder there._

"I don't see why the Headmistress won't allow me to teach a few classes." She sighed grumpily.

Madam Pince smiled gently.

"She's worried about your health, dear. We all are."

"She let Severus go back to teaching."

"Severus isn't pregnant, and he really needed something to occupy him, to keep him out of trouble."

Madam Pince leaned forward to whisper in a conspiratorial way.

"You know, it's like when a baby is being delivered…they always send the father away to boil some water. Keeps him out from underfoot, so we ladies can get the important work done."

Ana laughed weakly at that.

"Two more months." She sighed, gently running her hand over her belly, over their son.

"Is he as active as Nina was?"

"Hmmm…" Ana frowned, considering the question, "yes, but in a different way. Not as much the night owl as she was. Marcus, he tends to be more active during the day…and he tends to kick me more in the tummy than the bladder. I swear, Nina used to wake me up constantly, jumping up and down on my bladder. I do believe that Marcus is trying to knock the wind out of me sometimes, kicking me in the diaphragm."

Madam Pince chuckled, setting aside her knitting to take a sip of her tea.

"Ana, you know you can count on me to take care of him." Madam Pince said gently. "Nina is no bother at all. You'll need help…when you go to have your treatments."

"I know."

_There it is_, Ana thought. _The eight hundred pound gorilla in the room. Cancer. My own body gone mad, overproducing white blood cells, determined to kill infections that don't exist, attacking healthy cells. Will I live to see Marcus have his first birthday? To see Nina start school? To see Severus grow old and gray with me?\_

She shivered again.

_He shouldn't have to bury me, to grieve over me. I don't want that. I don't want him to suffer that pain._

"Ana."

She blinked, starting slightly when her mother-in-law took her hand gently.

"Sorry…I was just…"

"It's alright, dear." The older woman said. "I know you have a lot on your mind these days."

Ana took a deep breath, steeling herself for what she felt she needed to say.

"I want you to promise me something, Irma."

"Anything, dear."

"If something happens…" She swallowed a lump in her throat. "If I…die…"

"Ana, no! Don't even say that, not even as a joke."

"No, listen to me." Ana said unsteadily, her voice raw with emotion, "This is important, and we can't just ignore it, hoping it will go away. Promise me one thing. Promise me that you'll take care of Severus and our children. Please, Madam Pince."

"I…"

"Please, Irma. I'm begging you…Severus is a proud man, a strong man, but I fear that if something happens to me…if I die…he'd fall apart. I need you to make sure he keeps going. Please."

"You aren't going to die, dear. They'll treat this, and you'll get better."

"I don't plan on dying, not yet." Ana said, her voice steadier now, more composed. "But I just want you to promise me that if by chance, I don't make it, that you'll look after the people I love the most."

"I…I promise." Madam Pince nodded, squeezing her daughter-in-law's hand affectionately. "I'll take care of Severus and your children."

"Thank you." Ana said softly.

"But you'd better fight." The older woman said sharply, even though she was smiling. "I don't think I can find a daughter-in-law to match you."

Ana gave her a fierce grin, and then laughed weakly.

"I will. I won't give up."

oOo 

December 30, 2001~

The quiet in the operating room was shattered, at 4:20 a.m., when Marcus Remus Gregori Snape made his grand entrance into the world.

"My goodness, he's a spry one." Chuckled the medi-witch as she cleaned him up, deftly diapering the squalling infant as he protested mightly.

"Another unit of whole blood, and ready another one." The surgeon said calmly, though sweat was beading on his brow. He was well aware of who was pacing in the waiting room hallway, his black robes billowing behind him. Dr. Alan Morrison had not enjoyed his time in Potions under Professor Severus Snape, but managed to do well enough to earn an "Outstanding" grade from the gruff potions master by the time he graduated from Hogwarts in 1989.

"Yes, doctor." Said the surgical assistant, readying the IV bags.

"Hemostat, please. Suture."

"Cautery?"

"Yes. Right there…and there." He said. "Wipe, please."

The assistant deftly swiped a pad of gauze across the surgeon's forehead, dropping it in the 'biohazard' bin.

"Working toward closing up. Stay sharp."

"Yes, Doctor."

oOo

"Mr. Snape?"

"Professor Snape, if you don't mind." He hissed, whirling to face the young medi-witch, who involuntarily backed up a step.

"Stop it, Severus!" Minerva snapped. "I know you're tense, but this doesn't help."

"Well?" She said, turning to the young woman.

"I…um, the baby is fine. He's very noisy, that's for sure. He's in the nursery if you care to-"

"What about my wife?" Severus said, looming over the petite medi-witch.

"Um…she's still in the surgery suite, sir." She replied, her voice shaky. "I…we'll inform you as soon as she's out of surgery. I believe they are closing now."

"Severus." Minerva said gently, putting a calming hand on his arm. "It's out of our hands, lad. We can only wait now."

For a moment, she thought he might hex her; such was the raw emotion that showed in his face.

"Come on. Come sit down with us." She urged, tugging at the sleeve of his robes.

He glared down at her for a moment, then nodded, allowing her to lead him into the waiting room, to seat him in a chair as the occupants looked on. Severus numbly looked around the room, at the people who had gathered there.

Hermione Granger, her nails bitten nearly to the quick, leaning over from her seat to touch his knee.

"Have faith, Professor Snape. We're all praying for her, for you too." She said.

Harry Potter and his fiancée, Ginny Weasley. Harry gave him a nod, while Ginny gave him a brave smile.

Hagrid…working his way through the only box of tissues in the room.

Argus Filch, sitting with Madam Pince, Nina blissfully asleep in his mother's lap. Her normally impeccable black robes besmirched with a wet drool spot, his daughter limp as a dishrag against her grandmother's shoulder.

"Professor Snape?" Said a medi-witch, leaning into the room. "Dr. Morrison is here to speak with you."

Hermione and Minerva both catching his hand as he went by, giving him reassuring squeezes.

Now in the hallway, turning toward the sandy-haired surgeon, the man's scrubs spattered with blood…

_So much blood…Ana's blood_. Severus thought, his stomach turning a flip.

"Professor Snape? Alan Morrison, Chief of Surgery here." The man said gently, taking Snape's hand in a firm handshake. "Your wife's going to be fine. The Cesarean procedure went fine, but there was a bit of bleeding due to her low platelet count, and that took a bit more time to resolve."

"Is…is she awake yet?"

"No, Sir. She's in recovery from the procedures, still under anesthesia. It will probably be another 4-5 hours before she wakes up, and she'll still be in a bit of pain."

"I see."

"Sally!" Dr. Morrison called to the medi-witch that had called Snape from the waiting room. "Please show Professor Snape to the nursery to see his son, and then take him to Intensive Care to see his wife. She won't be awake yet, but I'm sure he'd like to see her."

"I…I remember you." Snape said quietly. "You were at Hogwarts, graduated in '89, correct?"

"Yes, Sir." Dr. Morrison nodded. "You inspired me to seek to better myself, so I decided to go to medical school in '90. Graduated top of my class."

"Glad to hear you've done well for yourself." Snape said quietly.

"It was an honor to take care of your wife, Professor."

"Thank you, Doctor." Severus said, shaking his hand and turning to follow the medi-witch.

"This way, Sir." Sally said, walking briskly down the hallway.

oOo

Now he sat by her bedside, dressed from head to toe in surgical scrubs, over the protests of the medi-witches. Dr. Morrison had approved of it, ordering them to allow him to sit with her.

"If it were my wife, I would want to do the same." The doctor had snapped at them, finally.

"Severus…" Ana said faintly, opening her eyes to look at him.

"I'm here, darling." He said, bending over her to place a gentle kiss on her forehead. She felt clammy to him, almost chilly.

"I'm cold."

"I'll ring the medi-witch to being another blanket for you." He said, reaching for the call bell. "How do you feel, darling?"

"Awful." She sighed, shifting in the bed, grimacing as she did so. "It hurts."

Severus eyed the IV bag nervously. Two bags, one of whole blood, the other the standard D5W solution for keeping a patient well hydrated.

_That's in addition to what they've already given her in surgery, and in recovery_, he thought, unable to shake a feeling of unease.

"Are you alright, love?" She whispered, grasping his hand in her own.

"Oh…yes, dear. Much better now that you're awake."

"Have you seen Marcus? Is he alright?" Ana asked anxiously.

"He's fine, darling." Severus smiled, giving her hand a gentle squeeze. "Very good lungs, didn't seem to matter to him that he was born a month early. Very active, he is."

"I'm sorry…"

"Now, none of that." He scolded her gently. "You couldn't help it, getting sick like you did. Healer Plumstead warned us it might happen, remember? "

"We could have died." She sobbed, shaking violently. "Marcus could have-"

"He's fine, Ana. Shockingly healthy, in fact." He leaned forward, raising her hand to his lips to kiss it. "You're tired, you need rest. You've been through a lot."

"I guess so…" She said, her voice trailing off.

"You need to rest." Severus repeated.

"Mmm hm." She sighed, slipping back into unconsciousness.

oOo

March 10, 2002~

"You're sure you want to start now?"

"Yes." Ana said, rocking Marcus gently after she'd finished nursing him. "I've stored plenty of milk for him, and if it runs out…well, we'll just have to use formula."

"Then it's settled." Severus said quietly, watching her as she soothed their son to sleep. "I'll arrange things with the house elves."

"And you need to remodel that room next to the nursery for your mum to stay in. She'll…well, when I'm…"

Ana bit her lip, not wanting to think about it.

"When you are…indisposed?"

"Thank you." She sighed. "She'll need to be close by, to supervise the house elves, and to help with Nina and Marcus."

"You don't think I can handle it?"

"That's not it. I'm going to need you, more than ever before."

"I know."

"Also, you need to modify your mum's quarters, so Nina and Marcus can stay with her if…need be."

"I don't think-"

"Severus." She said quietly, but with an edge to her voice that caused Marcus to stir slightly.

"You heard what the healer said. I don't know how bad things might be, but we need to be ready for anything. I…"

She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath, fighting to calm herself.

"I don't want Nina to see me…if things get as bad as he warned us they might."

"I know. But we can't protect her from everything."

Ana nodded soberly.

oOo

She stared at her hand, at the hairbrush she was holding, eyes wide in horror.

There was a thick clump of auburn hair caught in the bristles. She reached up with a trembling hand to gingerly touch the bare patch on her head, swaying slightly on the stool in front of her vanity.

"Severus."

"Yes, dear?" He said from the bed, looking over his reading glasses at her, closing the book he had been reading.

"Come here."

He walked over to her, reached down and took the brush from her, placing it on her vanity and vanishing the hair.

"It's…falling out." She said, her voice unsteady, her chin trembling. "It's coming out in great big clumps."

"I know, darling." He said gently, taking her in his arms. "I clean it off your pillow every morning before you wake up."

"My hair…" She sobbed, leaning weakly against his chest as his arms encircled her.

oOo

July 2, 2001~

"Severus, really…" Ana said, fumbling with one hand down the short hallway from the bedroom to the sitting room, leaning on him for support. "Aren't we a bit old for surprise birthday parties?"

"Not at all."

"Who is here?" She frowned as he led her to the couch. "I don't hear anyone."

"It's just you and I, at least for now." Severus said, guiding her to sit down on the sofa, gently prying her fingers off his arm where she clutched at him. He rose and went to his desk, where he knelt to retrieve a box.

"Can I take the blindfold off yet?" Ana said, her voice a mixture of uneasiness and curiosity.

"Not yet, dear. Just a few more minutes. I have a…special gift for you, to wear to the Great Hall. Minerva had a chocolate cake made for your birthday."

She flinched visibly, beginning to tremble.

"I…I can't go up there, Severus." She whispered fearfully, reaching up to remove the blindfold. "I…I just can't."

He gently caught her hand, preventing her from taking off the strip of cloth that covered her eyes, and then placed the box on the couch.

"Not yet, dear."

With a sigh of exasperation, she dropped her hands into her lap.

"Keep your hands in your lap." Severus said softly, opening the box. "I need to take your scarf off, but don't be alarmed. There's nobody here but you and I."

Reflexively, her hand went up to the scarf that covered her head, concealing her lack of hair. He easily caught it, gently returning her hand to her lap.

"Trust me, darling." He said softly. "If you don't like what I got you, you don't have to wear it."

Trembling, she nodded her head. Severus untied her scarf, gently unwrapping it from around her bald head. Putting it aside on the couch, he reached into the box.

"Now, this may tingle a bit." He said, gently putting his gift on her head. "The magic was surprisingly simple to figure out, once I worked out the problems…"

"A hat…?"

"No." He gently removed the blindfold.

Ana blinked, looking across the room to see the full length mirror from their bedroom next to the fireplace, directly across from where she sat. Severus took out his wand to make some fine adjustments to the wig he had made for her.

"I used your own hair, what I collected from your pillow and brush." He said, using his fingers to tuck a few stray strands into the French braid. "The most difficult part of the project was figuring out how to charm each strand to look alive. Your research partner, Miss Weasley, assisted me with some of the Arithmancy research, but I concealed the subject so well she thinks I was working on a shaving tonic."

"It…I…"

"Do you like it?"

She nodded.

"It's wonderful, Severus. It looks…real."

"I love you, Ana." He said quietly, gently pulling her to her feet to embrace her. "I will always take care of you, my darling."

"I know you will, Severus." She whispered huskily into his robes, closing her eyes.

_She's so frail_, he thought as he held her. _I can feel every rib, every bone in her body. I'm afraid that if I'm not careful, I might hurt her accidentally. _

_How much longer can she survive this?_

_How much longer do we have?_

Severus closed his eyes, placing a gentle kiss on top of Ana's head as he fought back his own tears.

oOo

September 5, 2002~

"Who is the donor?"

"Severus!" Ana scolded him, slapping his knee.

"I want to know." He fumed, glaring at Healer Plumstead. "There are still many who might seek to harm my wife. I can't think of an easier way to do it than to-"

"Please, Professor Snape." Healer Plumstead pleaded, holding his hand up as if to pacify him. "The donor is well acquainted with you, but has asked to remain anonymous. They asked me to tell you both that this act is to, and I quote, 'ensure the happiness that you two have found together does not end prematurely, but continues on so long as you both may live'."

"So," Snape glowered, crossing his arms in front of him and leaning back in his chair, "Who is it?"

"Severus, I love you, but I swear…" Ana snapped irritably. "Daryonomu konyu v zuby ne smotryat! This could mean that I could finally be well again!"

"Please, Professor Snape." The old healer sighed. "This is too much stress for your wife. We have carefully checked the bone marrow samples that we extracted. The procedure is quite safe. We cross-matched the bone marrow and it is nearly a perfect match."

"Nearly a perfect match." Snape scoffed, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"Ради Мерлина!" Ana fumed, slapping Severus on the arm. "You stop this right now! You know as well as I do that the extraction procedure is very painful! Whoever the donor is, they didn't undertake this lightly."

"Severus, please." She said, softening her tone and putting her hand on his arm. "This might be my only hope."

He sat for a long moment, his jaw working as his eyes bored into hers. With a sigh, he nodded his head.

"How perfect is a nearly perfect match?" He asked quietly.

"It's about as close as we can get, Professor Snape." Healer Plumstead replied. "I've done this procedure many times, often with less of a match than we have in this case. It's very unlikely there will be any problems."

"I have no objection, then." Snape sighed. "If my wife wants to do this, then I support her decision."

"Excellent. I'll contact the donor for the collection. We should be ready to make the transfer next week, say on the 9th at 10 a.m.? We'll need to have you here for the prep work about eight."

"That will be fine, Healer Plumstead." Ana smiled weakly. "We'll be here."

oOo

Author's notes:

Daryonomu konyu v zuby ne smotryat! : "Don't look at the teeth of a horse you've been given", the Russian equivalent of "Don't look a gift horse in the mouth."

Ради Мерлина!: "For Merlin's sake!"

D5W, for those who may not know, is a volume expander solution commonly used to keep patients hydrated and give them a bit of nourishment. It's pretty much just a solution of 5% dextrose (simple sugar) in sterile water.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 25

October 9, 2002~

Nina stood solemnly by the couch, watching her mother sleep.

Severus walked into the room, and seeing this, walked over to his three year old daughter, quietly kneeling beside her.

"Sweetheart, come with me." He said gently, giving her a hug, "You need to let mummy rest. She's very tired. It takes a lot of rest to get well sometimes."

"Mummy's not going to die, is she?" Nina whispered, her chin trembling.

"No, darling. Mummy's not going to die."

"Why does she need to sleep so much?"

"Because she was very sick for a long time, even before you were born."

"That made her tired?"

"Yes." Severus said, carefully scooping Nina up to carry her out of the sitting room, hoping that Ana would be able to rest.

"Severus, I'm not asleep." Ana said softly, her eyes just barely open. "Let her stay. She doesn't bother me."

"I'll be really good, mummy." Nina said, squirming out of Severus' arms to lightly drop to the floor. "I promise."

_Did she just float down? _Severus frowned. It didn't look like she'd used magic, but it was hard to tell with Nina; she had her mother's natural grace of movement already.

Now Nina was cuddled up to her mum, chattering gaily away as Ana struggled valiantly to stay awake, to listen to her.

_Up to me to be the bad guy, I suppose_, he sighed to himself.

"Ana," He said gently, "You really do need to rest. Dinner is only an hour away, and if you're going to be able to go to the Great Hall, you need to get a bit more sleep. Nina and I can putter about in the potions lab for a bit."

"Yay! Potions!" Nina chirped excitedly, jumping up to run to the door of the potions lab, where she struggled to open the heavy oak door.

"Spoilsport." Ana smiled faintly, reaching over to give his arm an affectionate squeeze.

"I do what I must, dear. She'd have you worn out by dinner, and you know I'm right."

"I suppose." She sighed. "What about Marcus? How is he, have you checked on him?"

"He's with mother, in the library. She'll be bringing him back to us at dinner."

"Oh, no! I hope he isn't a bother to her-" Ana whispered anxiously.

"He's not, dear. She insisted on taking him for the day, said things were pretty slow at the library today."

"Your mum's a godsend. I don't know what we'd do without her."

Severus nodded, carefully taking her hand in his, trying not to let his eyes linger on the many bruises on her hands and arms. So many, some old and fading, others new and fresh. It seemed that she, as she joked, 'bruised if you look at me too long.'

"Severus."

"Hm?"

"You're looking at bruises again, dear." She smirked. "I feel better, really I do. The bone marrow transplant takes time to have an effect, you know."

"I know."

"So stop worrying. Take Nina, go make some potions, and let me rest for a bit longer."

He nodded, scooping up their daughter into his arms.

"I'll wake you thirty minutes before dinner."

"Lovely. Have fun, you two."

oOo

Nina tired after walking halfway to the Great Hall, so now she rode along in her mum's lap, in the powered wheelchair that Sir Petto built for Severus so long ago.

"Good thing we kept this, isn't it." Severus said as they made their way to dinner.

"Indeed." Ana nodded, then smirked. "Though it would be more fun if it went faster."

"You have no need of such."

"I like to go fast."

"I know. You're quite reckless sometimes-" He paused, looking down the long hallway toward the doors of the Great Hall, his attention sharply focused on the two Aurors there.

"Severus?" Ana prompted, and then noticed the Aurors. "Oh, dear. I wonder why they're here. I recognize one, that's Harry Potter. I don't think I know the other one."

At that moment, the Headmistress came out of the Great Hall, speaking with the two Aurors, smiling and patting Harry Potter on the arm as they talked. The other Auror towered over Harry by a good bit, being nearly 6' 4" or so, with a powerful build and sandy brown hair.

"John." Severus said softly, quickening his pace slightly, walking toward the tall man.

"Severus!" The big Auror exclaimed in delight, turning toward Severus and his family at the sound of his name, his handsome face breaking into a wide grin as Snape swooped toward him. Grabbing Severus in a crushing embrace, he laughed, thumping him on the back.

Releasing Severus, who coughed a bit from the thumping, he turned toward Ana and Nina.

"You must be Ana." He grinned. "I always knew Severus would be tamed eventually, and by a beautiful princess."

"You're too kind, sir." Ana said demurely, shooting Severus a glance.

"I forget my manners." Severus said smoothly, turning to her. "Ana, this is one of my few friends that I have left; John Worthington. Slytherin, class of '81. John, my wife, Anastasiya Romanov-Snape, P.M., OoM 2nd class, and our daughter, Katerina Snape."

"Daddy!" Nina scowled.

"Oh…pardon me, my princess." Severus said, giving Nina a deep bow. "We call her Nina, and I'm sure that she will expect you to call her Nina also."

"Nina it is, then. I know how to treat my betters, Severus."

"What brings you to Hogwarts, John? Anything you can talk about?"

"Just visiting, really." John smiled, leaning against the wall. "Had to come up here to supervise Harry while he visited old friends. Mentioned he was coming by here, and I figured I might have a chance to see you."

"Oy, Worthington, my probationary period's long over." Harry said, pretending to be angry.

"Kids." John shrugged, looking over at Severus.

"How are you feeling, Professor Romanov-Snape?" Harry asked Ana, giving Nina an indulgent grin as she tugged on the pocket of his long Auror's coat.

"Better now, Harry, thank you." Ana smiled. "Please, call me Ana. I'm not your professor any more. How is Ginny?"

"Doing well." Harry said, turning shy. "We're expecting."

"How wonderful!" Ana beamed, her eyes sparkling with joy. "How far along is she?"

"Only about three months along. Hardly showing yet."

"Congratulations, Mr. Potter." Severus said.

"Ah…Severus, a word in private, if you don't mind?" John said.

"Harry can take me to our seats, Severus." Ana said. "Nice to finally meet you, Mr. Worthington. Severus has told me so much about you…I hope you two can join us for dinner in the Great Hall."

"Wouldn't miss a chance to enjoy the house elves' cooking again." John smiled, walking down the hall with Severus.

"She's a beauty, Severus." John sighed, glancing back over his shoulder at Ana. "You're a lucky man. Me, I don't think I'll ever be able to settle down. Not unless I quit chasing Death Eaters for a living…not that I have much in the way of prospects, mind you."

"You?" Severus scoffed. "I figured you'd be beating women off with a bludger bat."

"Never been a problem for me. I always stay too busy." John laughed, and then turned serious. "You're looking good these days."

"I told you to leave me." Severus said quietly as they walked down the hall together.

"You were hurt; you weren't in your right mind. I wouldn't abandon a friend."

"You risked your career, helping a Death Eater. You left your post, and gave aid and comfort to the enemy. I should have reported you to the ministry, but I was too busy choking on my own blood and that thrice-cursed bezoar you shoved down my throat. Did I ever tell you that your bedside manner as a healer is awful?"

"You're welcome, Severus." John sighed. "You deserve this happiness that you have, and I'm glad to have been able to help save your ungrateful ass again. You're a good man."

Harry scooped up Nina, who giggled in delight, following Ana as she rolled along in her wheelchair, talking to Headmistress McGonagall. Severus watched until they were almost at the staff table, and then turned to John.

"What is it that you need to tell me, John?"

"I put in for that job, Severus. The assignment we discussed earlier this year."

"Really? Do you think you'll get it?"

"Don't know yet." John sighed, and then grinned. "Thanks for the pep talk. Shacklebolt put in a good word for me when I asked, and a month later, they interviewed me."

"You're perfectly suited to the role." Severus smirked. "Loyal, honest, and cunning. Like a Hufflepuff crossed with a Slytherin. With a bit of Griffyndor courage thrown in, but none of the wisdom of a Ravenclaw."

"Up yours, you git." John laughed, leaning casually against the wall. "They told me it would probably be close to November before they decide anything. I'm thinking I'm going to go to the Bahamas, get some sun and relax. I need to use up some of my vacation time."

"That should be good for you."

"Sure will. I'm run ragged, keeping young Potter out of trouble."

"He's not that bad, is he?"

"No. He's actually darn good." John smiled. "I would put in for him to be my next partner, but if I get this assignment-"

"You'd be deep undercover, as I recall." Severus looked hard at John, frowning. "Just how deep?"

"No contact with anyone. It's a black operation, so no contact with the real world until I get the signal to come out…and that's really all I can say. That, and I need to warn you…don't believe what you'll be reading in the papers about me when the time comes."

"Merlin's beard, John." Severus whispered, shocked. "Are you sure you want to do this?"

"Somebody has to." John shrugged. "Death Eaters are pretty good at hiding out. Getting harder to catch them out lately."

"Indeed."

"I heard you had some run-ins lately."

"Yes. The Carrows right in Hogsmeade," Severus scowled for a moment, "and some nobody, Eaon Cadwell, in London."

"Sorry about that. We did catch the leader of that cell, Anton Dolohov. That was a huge break, but the other leaders are hard to catch; all my net brings in are the small fry."

"Not your fault."

"I know, but-"

"But nothing, John." Severus said gently, patting the younger man on the arm. "You're not my baby sitter. Merlin knows, you've saved me enough times. Now, let's go to dinner. It's Chicken Primavera tonight."

oOo

September 9, 2002~

_Top Auror A Thief! Over 60,000 Galleons missing!_

_-Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet Reporter_

"_An audit of our offices has uncovered a substantial amount of funds missing from our Special Operations budget, along with numerous records on subjects under investigation." Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt announced today in a late-afternoon press conference. "At this time I am, with a heavy heart, issuing warrants for the arrest and detention on sight of John Worthington. The Department of Magical Law Enforcement is giving the case top priority, given the seriousness of this security breach."_

_Minister Shacklebolt declined to answer further questions, except to affirm that a number of cases involving former Death Eaters may have been affected given that a number of investigative records were also taken over a period of some eight months. _

_Interviews with sources within the Ministry of Magical Law Enforcement uncovered some disturbing news-that Worthington vacationed in Bermuda in August, living lavishly for a month at the most expensive hotel in Kingsport, then disappeared shortly after returning to his one-bedroom flat in Knighton. Doubtless he had sensed the Aurors closing in on him. A few of the case folders were recovered, but none of the stolen funds-_

Snape crumpled the paper with a softly muttered oath, tossing it on the floor.

"Severus?" Ana said, looking up from her book. "What's wrong?"

He bit his lip, accioed the tumbler of firewhiskey and a glass, and poured himself a shot. Taking a sip, he put the glass on the side table-he didn't trust his shaking hands-and looked at Ana.

"It's John." He said simply, rubbing his eyes.

"Accio paper." Ana said softly, catching the crumpled up newspaper. She read silently for a few minutes, and then looked over at him.

"Oh dear gods." She breathed, her eyes wide with surprise. "Oh, no…"

oOo

October 30, 2003~

It was a quiet evening in the Snape household. Marcus lay on the play rug in the sitting room in front of the fireplace, listening to his older sister 'read' from a book to him with rapt attention. It didn't matter that it was a ragged old Beginning Potions textbook, or that it was upside down; Nina was telling the story, and she made it up as she went.

Ana was propped up at one end of the couch with the latest edition of The Daily Prophet, her feet in Severus' lap, mostly covered up with a blanket. She still got chilled easily, though her leukemia had been in remission for nearly a year. As it was, at least she could teach again, freeing Severus to go back to teaching DADA for now. 'For now', because lately they had been discussing his opening an apothecary supply house, both of them having become thoroughly disgusted with the quality of potions ingredients as of late.

Severus was engrossed in a thick book listing various suppliers of ingredients around the world, his quill making annotations in the margins as he read, and then writing notes on a parchment lying next to him on the side table. When he wasn't writing, he would lay the quill down, sliding his hand under the blanket to gently rub her feet. Ana smiled, but it was more for the children. She was deeply worried about her husband; he was working far too hard, mainly to conceal his grief over his friend's betrayal.

"Look, daddy!" Nina shouted, pointing at the flames in the fireplace as they shifted to the familiar color of an incoming floo message. Severus and Ana both gave a sigh; a floo this late on a Friday evening couldn't be good news.

Harry Potter's face materialized in the flames, causing Nina to squeal in delight.

"Uncle Harry!" She said, jumping up from the rug.

"Nina, stay back from the fireplace!" Ana said sharply, causing Nina to pout a bit.

"Hey, Nina!" Harry smiled, and then turned serious. "Severus, are you there?"

"No. I'm not here, Potter." Severus sighed. "I'm off in Norway, collecting seagull toenails. This is a recording-"

"Cut it out, Severus." Harry said sharply, surprising both Ana and Severus with the severity of his tone. "Have you heard anything from John recently?"

"I…" Severus shot Ana a concerned glance. "No, I haven't had any contact with him for over a year."

"We can't find him." Harry said grimly. "The assignment went bad. His cover was blown, his house destroyed, we can't find him. I'm afraid that the Death Eaters have him."

_Oh, Merlin_, she thought with a shudder, turning back a few pages in the paper.

A tug on Severus' sleeve drew his attention to Ana, who was holding up a section of The Daily Prophet.

_Gas Explosion Kills 38 in Prague Suburb_

_Former Auror, War Hero, Hogwarts alumni, and wanted fugitive from justice John Worthington listed among missing after a suspected gas main explosion demolished most of a city block…_

"A gas explosion?"

"Yes, that's the story we gave out." Harry nodded. "His house was demolished, Severus. They used fiendfyre on it, we don't know if he even was able to get out in time."

At the mention of fiendfyre, Severus felt Ana fingers dig into his arm painfully as she dropped the paper on the floor. He slid his arm around her to comfort her, feeling her trembling against him.

"Keep me posted, Harry."

"I will, Sir. Don't worry, we'll find him."

oOo

December 5, 2003~

"I swear, you paid far too much for that bauble." Hermione laughed, poking Ginny in the arm.

"Harry will love it, just wait." Ginny grinned, clutching a paper bag. "He loves owl figurines. This one, he's been looking at it every time we go by the shop."

Hermione chuckled, and then stopped short, her grin fading to a frown of concentration.

"What is it, Hermione? What's wrong?" Ginny asked as her friend abruptly turned away from her, pushing through the crowd.

Hermione walked briskly toward a blonde woman who seemed to be aimlessly wandering down the sidewalk. Ginny followed as fast as she could, a confused expression on her face as she stuffed the bag with the forgotten owl figurine back into her purse. By now, Hermione had almost caught up with her quarry, who somehow looked rather out of place in the busy downtown shopping district. Perhaps it was that she was barefoot, in December, in London, her pale feet drawing attention from curious onlookers as she walked through the dirty snow on the sidewalk.

"Luna! Luna Lovegood!" Hermione shouted at her.

The woman paused, and then slowly turned around.

"Hello, Hermione. Why are you shouting at me?" Luna said quietly, turning toward her.

Hermione and Ginny gasped at the sight. A torn blouse, a bruised cheek, her skirt marred by grass stains.

"Luna, your feet must be freezing!" Hermione said, tugging her mittens off and kneeling to put them on Luna's feet and casting a warming charm on them.

"Are you okay? Did someone assault you?" Ginny asked, pulling out her wand and moving to open Luna's coat to check for further injuries. "We can call the police-"

Luna laughed, without any humor to it. The bitterness in her blue eyes seemed foreign to her friends, as if it wasn't really Luna.

"No police." She said, snatching her coat away from Ginny. "It wasn't an assault. I just wasn't able to get my shoes before I left my daddy's house."

Smiling a bitter smile, one that looked completely out of place on her angelic face, Luna laughed again.

"He was angry with me." She said vacantly. "My daddy put me out on the street. He…he called me a whore. Maybe I am."

"Luna, no!" Hermione said, leading her to a bench to sit down. "I'm sure it was just some sort of misunderstanding…"

Ginny made a subtle motion with her wand. Before she could speak the incantation, Luna grabbed her by the wrist, forcing the wand away from herself.

"No need to make a scene, Ginny." Luna said sharply, and then sighed. "Sorry. Yes, I'm pregnant. I know who the father is, but I can't tell daddy…and well, he's furious about it. Not before I talk to the father, at least…and I can't find him anywhere. All of my owls come back to me, the messages undelivered. Have you ever heard of that?"

"Never." Hermione said, shaking her head. "Look, you can stay with me until you get back on your feet. It's the least I can do for you."

"Harry and I can help with groceries, too." Ginny said, putting her wand away. "Have you seen a Healer yet? I can get you into my Healer, she's wonderful…and very discreet."

Luna's face fell, her chin quivering as her tears streamed down her cheeks.

"I'm sorry. I don't mean to be so much trouble-"

"Don't be, love. It's alright." Hermione said gently, hugging Luna tenderly. "This isn't your entire fault, and you need help. You're our friend."

"Thank you." Luna whispered. "Ginny, do you think you could talk to Harry? He…the father is an Auror, we met in the Bahamas last summer. I'm worried that something's happened to him."

"I'll ask him, Luna, but if he is, Harry might not be able to help."

"Please, Ginny. I have a feeling that something terrible has happened."

"I'll try, Luna."

oOo

December 15, 2003~

"So that's what the situation is." Ginny finished, looking across the desk at Ana.

"Where is she now?" Ana asked quietly, picking up her cup to take a sip of her tea.

"She's staying with Hermione Granger, in London, for now. Her father still isn't speaking to her. Mr. Lovegood…well, he's a bit upset about it, mainly because Luna won't tell him who the father is. He won't answer the floo; he doesn't accept owls from Hermione or me. I'm getting rather put out with him."

"No luck on finding the father of her child?"

"No." Ginny sighed, shifting in the chair slightly. "I suspect Harry knows something, but he can't say. I've asked him, but he won't talk to me."

"Men." Ana frowned in disgust.

"I think Luna's right. Something happened to him, and they aren't talking about it. He was sent on some sort of undercover mission, and they think he's been lost."

Ana drummed her fingers on her desk, humming under her breath. Ginny had worked long enough with her to know better than to say anything; her mentor was thinking, coming up with solutions to the problem. Patiently, she waited for the result.

"Beauxbartons." Ana said finally.

"Beauxbartons?" Ginny gasped, surprised. "She wants to go to graduate school to study Transfiguration, but isn't Beauxbartons grad school frightfully expensive? There's no way she could afford it."

Ana smirked.

"I have some…connections there for a scholarship." She replied, taking up her quill and a piece of parchment. "If anyone deserves the help, she does. I'll owl them right now. In the meanwhile, I have some money of my own to help her get started. She can stay in the apartment that I lived in during graduate school; I still own it. It's not good that it sit empty, collecting dust."

"Oh, Professor, that would be wonderful! I'll miss having Luna around, but I think a fresh start would be good for her…and perhaps her father will have a change of heart, given time."

"Oh, he will." Ana said grimly as she scribbled on the parchment. "I plan to pay Xenophilius a personal visit as soon as the Healers declare me fit to apparate again. There's no excuse for him treating her like this, not his own daughter. I won't tolerate it, and neither will Severus once he hears of it."

"Oh…I've been meaning to ask," Ginny said, frowning, "Where has Severus been lately? I haven't seen him for a month now."

"Off in Europe, meeting with some sources for potions ingredients. He's pretty busy, hasn't even been able to apparate home, not even for a weekend. We floo call every night, though."

"Oh, so he's going to go ahead with the apothecary supply house?"

"Yes, as soon as he can work it out. He may have to eventually quit teaching DADA, but until then…"

oOo

December 18, 2003, 11:58 p.m.~

The Welcome Witch looked up irritably as the _crack_ of apparition echoed through the lobby. Two men, one leaning heavily on the other, stood before her desk.

"Gentlemen," She snapped, "This is a hospital, not your private playground for apparating-"

As she scolded the two men, they slid to the floor, the larger man dragging his companion down to the linoleum with a groan.

_Merlin!_ She thought in disgust, noticing that the bigger man wasn't wearing anything from the waist down save his boxers.

_Drunks_, she thought grimly as she rounded her desk. _I'll have to notify security to throw them out._

As she reached the two men sprawled on the floor, the sharp odor of blood and scorched flesh assailed her nostrils, causing her to reel back, gagging. Through sheer force of will, the witch managed to avoid being sick. The smaller man raised his head, black eyes peering up at her from a sooty, bloodied face with a hawk nose.

"Help him." Severus croaked, wiping blood and soot from his eyes. "Please."

The Welcome Witch stared wide-eyed at the bigger man's leg in horror. It seemed stripped of all covering skin, black with blood and scorched muscles. She hesitated, but only for a moment before she ran to her desk to pick up the intercom.

"ER personnel to the Lobby, stat!" she shouted, "bring a cart!"


	7. Chapter 26 to 30

Chapter 26

December 19, 2003, 1:13 a.m.~

"Madam, please-"

"When may I see my husband?"

"Professor Romanov-Snape, he's still in the surgery." Said the Healer nervously, wilting under Ana's fierce gaze. "He should be out and in recovery any moment now. As I understand, his injuries were minor."

"He may be here a bit longer after I'm finished with him." Ana growled impatiently, stalking back to her seat in the waiting room.

"Any word?" Ginny said anxiously as she sat down.

"He's in surgery, should be in recovery shortly." Ana sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I swear, he is going to be sorry for this little escapade."

Harry Potter burst into the waiting room, his Auror coat streaked with rain.

"Ginny, Ana." He said, taking a seat by Ginny after giving her a hug. "Uh, Ginny, can I speak with Ana alone? Just for a moment, dear."

"Work related, I suppose?" Ginny frowned.

"I'm sorry, dear…yes, it is."

Ginny sighed, moving to get up.

"Harry, why don't we just go out in the hallway?" Ana said diplomatically, putting a hand on Ginny's arm to stop her.

"Alright."

"Thank you, Professor." Ginny sighed, relieved.

Once in the hallway, Ana turned to Harry, fire flashing in her eyes.

"Just what did you get my husband involved in, Mr. Potter?"

"I…hold up, Professor." Harry said, holding up his hands defensively. "I was just as surprised as you were when he showed up at the hospital like this."

"He told me, that he would be in Poland after a brief stop in Germany." Ana said, her eyes glinting dangerously. "What happened, that he just happened to get into a street brawl with a bunch of Death Eaters and had to side-along apparate with a wounded Auror to the hospital here? He could have splinched both of them, in the condition he was in!"

"I…" Harry pursed his lips tightly, considering what to do. "I can't tell you much about it, what Severus went and got involved in. It's a real mess. What I can tell you, I need a vow."

Ana frowned deeply, glaring at Harry.

"Or you can't tell me anything, is that how it is?"

"Exactly."

"Fine, then. I'll make your dammed vow." She snapped, holding out her hand and drawing her wand.

Harry drew his wand, and then grasped her hand.

"Do you, Anastasiya Romanov-Snape, solemnly swear not to divulge anything that I tell you concerning the matter of your husband, Severus Snape, and what happened to him and our un-named agent to anyone, save for the normal discussions held between man and wife?"

"I do." She said, feeling the magic swirl around her, taking effect.

Harry released her hand, casting _Silencio_ and _Notice-me-not_ charms on them.

"Alright, out with it." Ana snapped irritably. "My husband may be coming out of surgery any moment now…just why should I not hex the living daylights out of him for lying to me?"

"Because he was helping one of our agents." Harry said nervously, looking around him. "I can't say much more, except the agent was in deep cover assignment, and the Death Eaters caught him. He's been tortured, and he's lucky-or not, take your pick- to be alive. Severus…I have no idea how he found him when dozens of Aurors couldn't, but he did. Thank Merlin for that."

"He still lied to me." Ana said coldly, but with little real anger to it.

"Be glad he survived." Harry sighed. "I'll need to be the first person to talk to him, I'm afraid. Ministry policy on this kind of thing demands that I get an oath of nondisclosure from him, so it would be best if you didn't ask questions about this of him."

"We have lived for the past two years without trouble from Death Eaters," Ana fumed, crossing her arms after tucking her wand away, "and he just has to go kick the hornets' nest, doesn't he? I'll be damned if we aren't going to discuss this, and soon. I'll scorch his ears, you can bet on that. I'm going to let him know just what I think of this little escapade. Just who did he have to save, anyway?"

Harry ran a hand through his hair in exasperation.

"Look, I have an oath from you. I'll leave Severus some wiggle room in the non-disclosure oath so you can at least talk to him about it, okay? Just don't press him for details, especially on the identity of the agent. It could be quite…sensitive right now. As it is, we'll have to guard the agent 24/7, starting now. I'm pretty sure the Death Eaters are out in force looking for him. At least, Severus had the good sense to bring him somewhere relatively safe."

Ana sighed.

"I suppose it will have to do." She huffed. "But mark my words, Mr. Potter, there'd better be no trouble coming to my family from this. Or I'll be adding plenty more notches on my wand."

oOo

December 19, 2003, 5:33 a.m.~

With an effort, he opened his eyes.

"Good morning." Ana said coldly, putting her magazine aside.

"I…deduce that…I am…" Severus whispered hoarsely, "…in the doghouse, as they say."

"That would be an understatement."

"I am…very sorry, dear."

"I have been worried sick about you." She sighed, rubbing her eyes. "The headmistress insisted on my using a portkey to get here, and that took some time, waking up the stationmaster-"

"I didn't lie to you," he whispered, "I was in Poland, in Szczytno to see some suppliers, Walter Kobus and his brother Jans; that much is true…then I found…where he was. It was just dumb luck that I found him. I was passing by the house that they had him in, and heard him cry out.

"I…It was rather difficult to not hear him."

Severus drew a long, shuddering breath, trembling at the memory, fighting to compose himself.

"Ana…they…they were using _enervate_ to keep him awake for it. It'll be a thousand wonders if he isn't half mad after this. He couldn't even talk to me, he'd screamed so much. I fear he may have damaged his vocal cords-"

Ana held up her hand.

"That's enough." She said, "I don't want to risk you breaking your oath to Harry."

"I couldn't leave him to them, Ana." He sighed, eyes welling up with tears. "I just couldn't. They were…I knew what they would do to him…and what they had done already…"

"Hush, Severus." She said, leaning over him to kiss him. "I'm just glad you didn't get too badly hurt this time."

Breaking the kiss, she glared down at him.

"But I swear, if you go off chasing Death Eaters ever again, all by yourself, I will hex you until you can't move."

oOo

"It's…huge." Luna said, her eyes wide with wonder.

"Isn't it?" Ginny asked, walking into the apartment with two boxes floating along behind her. "Professor Romanov must be very well off to own a place like this."

"The ceilings in here are, like, sixteen feet high." Her friend marveled, walking on into the sitting room. "I feel like I'm a princess."

Hermione walked in behind her, three more boxes floating behind her.

"I think this is all of your kitchen things, Luna. Come with me and tell me how you want things."

"Hermione, I can unpack this-"

"Nonsense. You don't need to be working too hard."

"I'm pregnant, not a cripple."

"She's right, Hermione." Ginny scolded lightly. "She needs to do for herself. After all, when the school term starts, she won't have us hovering over her."

"All the same, Luna," Hermione huffed, "we're having your floo connected to my apartment and Ginny's house. If you need help, either of us can be here right away."

Luna nodded, absently resting her hand on her abdomen, over her baby.

"How are you feeling?" Ginny asked gently. "You're not feeling tired, are you?"

"No, not at all." Luna smiled wanly. "You two won't let me do anything strenuous. I did go register for my classes yesterday, though."

"Is the money in your account yet, from the scholarship?"

"Yes. It's all taken care of." Luna sighed, sitting down at the kitchen table, watching Hermione put the kettle on. "I still can hardly believe I'm starting graduate school."

"Professor Romanov took a special interest in you." Ginny said, sitting down next to her. "I think she's planning to talk to your father."

"Oh…um, that might not be a good idea." Luna said softly, picking nervously at a bit of lint on her new scarlet and black Beauxbartons graduate student robes.

"If anyone can convince him to change his mind, she can. After all, she managed to tame Severus Snape."

Luna laughed at that.

oOo

"Daddy."

Severus lay still, pretending to be asleep. It was a game that his daughter loved to play with him.

Nina put her face right in his, nose to nose.

"Daddy!" She said, poking him in the nose with her tiny finger. "Wake up!"

"Hm?" He grimaced, pulling away from the probing digit.

"It's Christmas, Daddy."

Severus sighed, reaching over to pick up his old alarm clock.

"Nina, it is six in the morning." He sighed wearily.

"But it's Christmas!" Nina said insistently, climbing up on the bed. "And my feet are cold."

Severus lifted the duvet so she could crawl under the covers, worming her way in between her mother and father.

"Nina, what are you doing?" Ana murmured sleepily.

"It's Christmas, mummy."

"It is, isn't it?" Ana smiled, gathering her daughter into a hug and kissing her forehead. "Time for grumpy old sleepyheads to get up."

"And you say I spoil her." Severus grumbled, sitting up. "_Accio_ robe, _accio_ house slippers."

Catching the items deftly as they flew to his hands, he put his slippers and his robe on.

"I want to see what you got me for Christmas, too." Ana smirked, poking Severus in the ribs with her finger.

"See, daddy?" Nina laughed. "We win. We have more votes that you do."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake." Severus sighed. "Is your grandmother up yet, Nina?"

"Uh-huh." Nina nodded. "Nana is in the kitchen."

"Heavens, I'd better go see if I can help." Ana said, throwing back the covers and getting out of bed.

"Yay! I'm coming too!" Nina chirped, sliding to the floor to follow her mother.

oOo

Two days later, Severus received a floo call from Harry Potter, which he took privately in his new study, across the Potions classroom from their living quarters. After thirty minutes, he returned, sitting down on the couch next to Ana as she read. Nina was playing with Marcus on the play rug, telling him some outlandish story about mermaids and clownfish.

"Well?" Ana said quietly, not even looking up from her book.

"It's been approved." He replied, picking up her feet and placing them in his lap, gently massaging the right one with his slender fingers. "Harry will have to accompany me, of course, but I can go visit him next Friday."

"He's not even conscious, is he?"

"No." Severus sighed. "But I want to see him, to talk to him."

"I thought you didn't believe in that rubbish." She smirked, poking him gently in the arm.

"A stubborn woman made me a believer." He said softly. "She removed my most precious books from my study, read to me, cared about me when I could care less about living. She saved my life."

Ana sat up, shifting on the couch until she was facing him.

"You were worth saving, Severus." She whispered, and then kissed him.

"So is John." He sighed sadly, "At least, I hope there's something left of him to save."

oOo

Severus stood in the doorway of the hospital room, clad in a sterile hospital smock over his robes, with a 'visitor' tag on the breast pocket. He was watching the apprentice healer finish her work; she was carefully changing the sheets and blankets on John's hospital bed, taking great care to drape the covers in such a way as to minimize pressure on his legs.

"Ah, Professor Snape." She smiled, gently pulling the sheets up to the patient's chin, making sure that they didn't bind or put too much pressure on the healing tissue underneath. "I'm glad you came by to visit. Nobody's come to see him, except for Minister Shacklebolt."

"Well, I had to get special permission from the ministry first." Severus said, nodding to the Auror standing next to the bed. "Timmons."

"Professor Snape." The Auror, said, his eyes narrowing. "Why are you here?"

"He's here to visit his friend." Harry Potter said, nodding toward the bed. "Hello, Mark."

"Harry." Timmons said softly. "I take it this has been cleared with the Ministry? Regardless, you know that my orders are not to leave his side."

"It has." Harry said, handing Timmons an envelope. Timmons took it, removed the letter, and scanned it. Nodding, he handed it back to Harry.

"I understand you found him, got him out of there, Snape." He said, looking at Severus.

"It was purely by chance that I heard him." Severus said, looking at the bed.

"I guess you wouldn't harm him, then."

"Never. He is the closest friend that I have left, perhaps the best one."

Severus walked over to the bed, sitting down in a chair next to the bed with a long sigh. Harry followed, his eyes taking in the bed and its patient.

"Healer, um?" Harry began nervously.

"Apprentice Healer Moore, Mr. Potter." The young woman said helpfully. "I've been assigned to take care of Mr. Worthington exclusively until he recovers, myself and Apprentice Healer McCall. Is there anything you need to know about his condition or treatments?"

"Um, yes, Apprentice Healer Moore." Harry said, pushing his glasses up on his nose. "How is his condition?"

"He's been receiving skin graft therapy, though we still have to give him hydrotherapy and do debridement of dead tissue. It's not as bad as when he first got here, when we had to use hydration gel to keep the underlying tissue moist and debride every 12 hours. I…I'm afraid he's not very good company, as he's been put into a medically induced coma, with nerve blocking to keep the pain to a tolerable level. Fiendfyre is an awful thing to suffer. Even Tears of the Poppy isn't powerful enough to completely ease the pain."

"Indeed." Severus said softly, his eyes on his unconscious friend.

"Professor Snape," Said the healer, "If you don't mind my asking, wasn't it your wife, Ana Romanov, that did the research on using cobra venom as a nerve blocker?"

"Well, no, not the original research. Ana isolated some of the chemical compounds involved in nerve blocking, while she was working on…another project. She's very good with organic chemistry."

"Well, it's a wonderful breakthrough." The young woman smiled. "He…I don't think he could bear this without it."

Afterwards, they walked to the apparition point in silence, each deep in their own thoughts. Harry stopped, putting his hand on Severus' arm.

"What?"

"Severus, there's another problem." Harry sighed, running his hand through his hair nervously.

"Well, what is it?"

"You remember Luna Lovegood?"

"Of course." Severus nodded. "She was in my Potions classes, of course. Did a respectable job, enough to earn 'exceeds expectations' in most of them. Ana seems to have taken her under her wing, helping her to get a scholarship to go to graduate school at Beauxbartons. Her father has turned his back on her for some reason."

"So Ana hasn't told you?"

"No, Potter, my wife doesn't tell me everything that I don't really care to know."

"Luna is pregnant."

"That happens, though there are charms and potions to prevent it."

"Severus, I think John may be the father."

Severus stared open-mouthed at Harry, his mind whirling.

"Impossible." He snapped, finally. "He wouldn't do something like that. He's not like that."

"He went to Bermuda on vacation last summer."

"This is nonsense-"

"Hold on, Severus, I'm not finished." Harry said, holding his hand up. "Guess who went to the same resort for a holiday, at the same time, and just happened to meet a handsome Auror…"

"Rubbish."

"Luna Lovegood. Now, Hermione and Ginny can't get her to tell what her mystery lover's name was, but I'd bet the contents of my vault at Gringott's that it's John Worthington."

Severus grabbed Harry's coat, shoving him against the wall of a building.

"You are accusing my best friend of sleeping with a young woman some fifteen years his junior, fathering a child, and then abandoning her. Tread carefully, Mr. Potter."

"Severus, Luna knows who the father is, but she hasn't told anyone. Not even her own father, and that's why he's so angry with her. I think he was ready to go find him and hex him." Harry said, gently prying Severus' fingers off his coat. "Unfortunately, someone beat him to it.

"She did say she needed to speak to the father before she would identify him to anyone. She respects his privacy, Severus. It's not like she wants to shame him. Hell, he probably doesn't even know she's pregnant with his child. She says that all of her owls to him have returned unanswered, and we both know why that is."

"He is not capable of doing anything right now," Severus hissed, fairly shaking with anger, "except breathe, piss, and shit. It's a wonder he's alive, and he may curse me for saving him, given how bad his injuries are."

"That's for sure. Though I don't agree he will be angry for you for saving him."

For a long moment, the two men stood looking at each other.

"So…what should we do?" Severus asked softly.

"Let it be, for now." Harry sighed. "It won't do any good to do anything. Luna's taken care of, what with your wife helping her get enrolled in Beauxbartons and providing her somewhere to live. Ginny and I are going to arrange for her to have couple of house elves to help her; she'll really need them once the baby is born, what with her in graduate school."

"So we conceal the fact that John, assuming he is the father of her child, is alive? That we know where he is?"

"I don't see as we have much choice." Harry sighed. "It's not like she can talk to him about it, or that he can do anything to help. The healer in charge of his treatment told me that it might be as few as eight months, or as much as two years, until they can even bring him out of the coma. And even then, he'll be in terrible pain from the nerve damage."

"And then there'll be more skin grafts, then therapy." Severus said quietly. "I'll be surprised if he'll ever be able to walk again. His left leg is nearly ruined, I was sure that it would be amputated."

"Come on; let's go grab a bite to eat." Harry sighed, looking at his wristwatch. "Ginny is still in France with Hermione and Luna. I'll buy."

"Fish and chips sounds wonderful, Mr. Potter." Severus nodded. "Though I can buy my own."

"I'm sure." Harry smiled as they walked down the sidewalk, toward a restaurant near the hospital. "I hear the apothecary supply business is taking off for you."

"Slowly. I still have much to do before Ana and I can quit our teaching jobs."

Harry laughed.

"I doubt you'll be able to get her to quit teaching. She loves it."

"Yes, she does."

oOo

"Merry Christmas to us." Luna said quietly, gently stroking her tummy.

Ginny frowned, sitting in her chair, nursing James.

"Luna, are you okay?"

"Just…wondering."

"About what?"

"Where he is. If he's alright." Luna said softly, a tear sliding down her cheek. "He's still not answering my owls…I'm sure that something terrible has happened."

Harry bit his lip, looking away from Ginny's sharp glare. Pretending to straighten some of the decorations on their Christmas tree, he sighed inwardly. When he finally turned around, Luna was asleep on the couch, covered with a light blanket. Ginny was rocking James, rubbing his back as she eased him off to sleep.

Quietly, he got up, retreating to the kitchen table with his book, hoping that his wife would calm down a bit.

After Ginny had put James down for the night, she cornered Harry in the kitchen. Leaning against the counter, she crossed her arms and narrowed her eyes, gathering herself for the storm.

"Harry James Potter!" She hissed sharply, "You have no right to keep her in the dark about this. She has every right to know where he is! That he's alive!"

"Ginny, it isn't that easy." He sighed nervously. "He's still in danger, that's why his location is secret. I had to move mountains just so Professor Snape could see him, and Severus was the one who saved him from the Death Eaters! Look, Luna is fine for now. She doesn't need to know yet."

"She deserves to know, Harry, and you know it!" Ginny snapped. "She's worried sick about him; she at least needs to know the truth, even if she can't see him, even if she can't talk to him."

"Ginny, so long as she doesn't know about him, where he is, what condition he's in…and nobody knows that he's the father of her child, she's safe. But things have to be like this to protect both Luna and John."

"What utter rubbish." Ginny fumed. "I can't believe you're doing this, Harry. Luna is our friend! She has a right to know at least that he's alive."

"You're not going to tell her, are you?" Harry said uneasily.

"Maybe I should." Ginny said defiantly, her hands on her hips, eyes flashing. "But I think that you should be the one to tell her, since you won't even tell your own wife what all is going on."

"Tell me what, Harry?" Luna said, standing in the doorway.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 27

Harry ran his hand uneasily though his hair, unable to meet Luna's gaze. Ginny folded her arms and leaned against the kitchen counter again, her chin held high and her lips set in a tight line as she glowered at her husband.

"She's our friend, Harry, and she deserves to know." Ginny said quietly.

Luna's blue eyes shifted to Ginny, then back to Harry as he took off his glasses and cleaned them on his t-shirt. Putting them back on, he cleared his throat nervously.

"Um, Ginny, if you don't mind, could you put the kettle on, please?" He said carefully, avoiding Luna's eyes. With a sigh of disgust, Ginny went to the stove, moving to the sink to fill the kettle.

"Harry Potter." Luna said sharply. "What is going on here?"

Harry looked at her then, a guilty blush creeping into his cheeks. After a moment of chewing on his lip, he came to a decision.

"Wands out." He said to the two women, pulling out his own wand. "I need both of you to take an oath of non-disclosure."

"I'm your wife." Ginny pointed out bluntly, reaching into her pocket for her wand anyway.

"I know, but better safe than sorry, dear." He said apologetically. "Luna?"

"Ready when you are." She said, holding her wand up. "But I don't understand-"

"Let's get this over with." Harry sighed, holding his wand up and his hand out for Luna and Ginny to take hold of. When the three of them were holding hands, he glanced nervously at Luna.

"Do both of you swear not to speak to anyone else of what will be said in this household regarding Luna Lovegood and the unidentified Auror who will be spoken of?"

Both women quietly affirmed the oath, feeling the swirling of the magic vow as it took hold.

"Alright, Harry, now I'm really suspicious." Luna said uneasily. "What's this all about?"

Harry pulled a chair out from the table, motioning Luna toward it as Ginny put the kettle on the burner.

"You'd better sit down, Luna."

With a sideways glance at Ginny, who nodded to her, Luna sat in the offered chair, putting her wand away.

"What's all this about an…unidentified Auror?" Luna asked, staring intently at Harry.

"Before I can tell you anything, I have to ask you a question." Harry said, meeting her eyes with his own. "Who is your baby's father?"

"I can't say." Luna shook her head vigorously. "I won't say until I speak to him. I want him to know before I tell anyone else, because it's our child."

"What if I might know where he is?"

"Harry!" Ginny snapped. "Now, that's just cruel!"

Luna was pale as a ghost, all the blood seeming to have drained from her face, her eyes wide in shock as she gripped the table with both hands. Her blue eyes locked on Harry, her chin trembling, she seemed to not even breathe as she sat completely still.

"John." Luna whispered, looking as if she might faint. "John Worthington. Now, what do you know of him, Harry?"

Ginny left the counter, moving over to kneel next to Luna. Sliding her arms around her friend, she gave her husband a scathing glare.

"Are you satisfied, Harry?" She hissed as she steadied her friend, who leaned weakly against her.

Harry sighed deeply, taking his glasses off and rubbing his eyes.

_Looks like I may be on the couch for a few nights_, he thought. _She can be as hot-tempered as her mum._

"Luna," He began, putting his glasses back on, "What I'm going to tell you could put you, and your unborn child, in grave danger. Do you understand that?"

"I understand." Luna said, so softly it was difficult to hear. One trembling hand on Ginny's arm, she leaned weakly on her friend for support.

"I…know where John is." Harry sighed, "But you can't see him. Not yet."

"Why not?"

"Because he's in hospital, under close guard. It would take a few weeks to get permission for you to see him, and some fancy talking on my part, probably.

"But…it doesn't matter right now…because he's very badly injured, in a medically induced coma while he's being treated for his injuries."

Luna had regained some of her color, though she was still a bit pale, and still leaning heavily on Ginny for support. She bowed her head for a moment, fumbling for her hanky. Harry waited while she dried her eyes a bit, listening to the clock in the sitting room mark off time.

"Harry…" Luna said, her eyes bright with tears, "I want to see him."

"I warn you, Luna, it isn't very pretty." Harry sighed, thinking of his last visit to John. "He was…tortured by Death Eaters. Right now, he's in such pain that they have to keep him sedated. One of the drugs they're using on him, in essence, paralyzes him so he can't feel pain."

"I understand." Luna nodded, biting her lip. "I fought alongside you in the war, Harry. I've seen what Death Eaters did to people. They tortured me, too."

"Not like this, Luna. I saw much the same things you did, and this is nothing like that."

"Please, Harry. I want to see him, even if he's unconscious."

"I'll see what I can do, Luna." Harry said gently. "I have to contact the ministry, and apply to have you placed on the visitor list. Right now, there are only eight people allowed to visit him. Assuming you are approved, they have to reset the wards to your magical signature before you can enter the area of the hospital that his room is in."

"Wards?" Ginny said curiously. "That's not that difficult a task, to reset them."

"These are tough, Ginny." Harry said. "They're very high level, and Shacklebolt has to do the resetting himself. If they aren't attuned to your signature, they'll vaporize you as soon as you try to pass."

"I'll do whatever it takes, Harry." Luna said quietly. "I want to see him."

Harry sighed deeply. The kettle had begun to boil, and he was relieved to hear it, though he hoped that Ginny wouldn't dump it on his head.

"I'll owl the Minister right now. It may take a few weeks, and I may need you to write a note for me."

"About what?" Luna blinked.

"About your…condition. That John is the father."

"Oh." Luna said, looking down at her lap as she blushed.

Harry reached out and gently lifted Luna's chin up.

"Luna, do you love him?" He asked, ignoring Ginny's frown of disapproval.

Luna, her chin trembling, tears streaming freely down her cheeks, mutely nodded.

oOo

January 2, 2004~

A soft chime reverberated through the Snape sitting rooms. Ana, her sleeves pushed up on her arms, swiped at her forehead with her hand, leaving a smudge of flour there. Picking up the rolling pin, she turned to the dough as it lay on the waxed paper on the table.

"Severus, could you get the door?" She called out, lightly swatting at Nina's hand as her daughter swiped another blackberry from the bowl. Nina crammed the berry into her mouth, already stained purple from previous successful thefts.

"If you don't stop taking the berries," Ana scolded mildly, "there will be none to put in the piroshkies, darling."

With a sigh, Severus put his book down and went to the door, careful not to step on Marcus as he slept on the magical play rug. He opened the door.

"Good afternoon, Miss Lovegood." Severus said cordially, keeping his wife's warnings in mind.

_If you say anything out of line, I'll hex you_, Ana had told him that morning. _The situation she's in isn't her fault. Remember, she's a grown witch now, not one of your students, so you'd better be on your best behavior. Or else._

His wife had paused, as if reluctant to say more. But she pressed on.

_Severus, this…won't be easy for me to talk about._ Ana had said. _I'm doing this for you, I'm doing it for John…but most of all, I'm going to do it for Luna. Just be forewarned; I may need some comforting afterwards. Because it will bring some of my own demons back, I fear._

Now Severus thought about his wife's words of warning as he looked at the nervous young woman before him.

Luna Lovegood stood in the doorway, looking torn between coming in and fleeing.

"Come in, Miss Lovegood." Severus sighed, stepping back and opening the door wide. "My wife is expecting you. Ana is in the kitchen, making piroshkies."

"Piroshkies?" Luna said, a look of confusion on her face.

"Yes, Priroshkies." He nodded. "A Russian treat. Little pastries, stuffed with fruit in this case. My wife wished to make them for you to enjoy with afternoon tea while you two talk. May I take your cloak?"

"Um…yes, of course." She said, slipping it off so he could hang it up on the hall tree. "Thank you, Sir."

"In here, Luna!" Ana called from the kitchen cheerfully.

Luna carefully walked around Marcus, making her way to the kitchen.

"Hello, I'm so glad you could come over." Ana smiled, putting the baking sheet with its pastries in the oven. "I was afraid that my daughter wouldn't leave you any blackberries for the filling, the scamp."

Taking out her wand, Ana _vanished_ the flour and other mess from the piroshky making from the table. Pulling out a chair, she motioned for Luna to sit down, and then neatly stepped around Nina, who was sitting on the floor, to the tea set on the counter. Carrying it to the table, she put it down, and then retrieved a tray of tea sandwiches, sitting down at the table. With a graceful wave of her hand, she removed the _stasis_ charm that had been keeping the food fresh and cool.

"I don't know if you've eaten today, but I haven't eaten since breakfast and I'm positively famished." Ana said, picking up a cucumber sandwich and taking a bite. "Please, help yourself."

"Um…Professor?" Luna said hesitantly.

"Hm?" Ana replied, her mouth full. Swallowing, she produced a hand mirror and examined her face, discovering the smear of flour on her own forehead. Pulling out her wand, she quickly _vanished_ it with a chuckle.

"Thank you for pointing that out; it's rather hectic, baking anything with Nina helping. It's enough of a mess to begin with, and she loves to play with flour a bit too much."

"Professor…your arms-" Luna said softly, her eyes wide with fear.

Ana forced herself to look causal as she glanced down at her forearms, the rolled up sleeves revealing her prosthetic left arm, the terrible scars on her right arm. It was all she could do not to pull her sleeves down, to once again conceal her scars. As she struggled to keep up her calm, smiling façade, Nina climbed up in her lap, her fingers in her purple-stained mouth as she regarded Luna with her big gray eyes curiously.

"Fiendfyre…did this." Ana said, trying to keep her voice calm. "I was burned at Beauxbartons during a Death Eater attack during the war. My left arm…well, there wasn't one below the elbow after, and it was damaged all the way up to my shoulder. I nearly died."

"I…I'm sorry."

"Not a problem." Ana said crisply. "I talked to Ginny, and I thought you needed to know more about it. It was easier to show you."

Nina was sliding her fingers along the smooth metal of her mother's prosthetic arm, fascinated for now.

"My mommy has a metal arm." She said shyly. "It's cool. Grandpa made it for her."

"I…I see that." Luna said.

"Your eyes are really pretty." Nina said, leaning forward to stare at Luna. "They're blue! Blue is my favoritest color."

"Most favorite." Her mother corrected gently.

"I like blue, too." Luna said, a bit embarrassed.

Nina slid off of Ana's lap, walking over to Luna and climbing up into her lap, taking a lock of Luna's hair and examining it closely.

"What color is this?" Nina asked, frowning in concentration. "It's isn't white, though it's close. You aren't old enough to have white hair. White hair is for old people."

"Um, it's blonde." Luna said nervously, covering her belly with one hand while she steadied Nina with the other.

"You must forgive my daughter." Ana smirked. "She tends to say whatever comes in her head, and she only seems shy. Now that she knows you, she'll talk your ears off."

"I'm sure." Luna said softly, glancing at the scars on Ana's forearm again. It wasn't missed by the Potions Professor.

"You needed to see this." Ana said, a bit more gently. "I haven't seen John myself, but I know that fiendfyre was used in the attack. I wanted to prepare you for the sight, and for the…other effects it has."

Luna tore her eyes away from the ugly scars on Ana's right forearm, a guilty expression on her face.

"What…'other effects'?" She asked in a shaky voice.

"The scars are nothing, really." Ana said, picking up Nina from Luna's lap to go over to the oven to check on the piroshkies. "Mmm, almost done."

She turned off the oven, and then came back over to sit down. Putting Nina down on her feet, she leaned over to her.

"Go tell your daddy that the piroshky are almost done." She whispered, patting Nina on her fanny to speed her on her way.

When her daughter had run into the sitting room to get her father, Ana turned back to Luna.

"From what Severus has told me, John has nerve damage, mostly from the use of fiendfyre as a means to torture him." Ana said, her voice lowered to prevent Nina from hearing. "His body will heal, but the pain will stay, for a long time. It's like the worst pain you could ever imagine. He'll have nightmares. I know this…because I live with it. It's not easy. Some victims, they lose their minds from the pain. It…"

Ana drew in a breath with a shudder, blowing it out with a long sigh.

"I couldn't have done it without Severus' help." She admitted freely. "He's comforted me, held me, ducked when I raged at him…I didn't handle it well at times. I thought I…was ugly."

"Harry told me he was blind." Luna whispered. "He told me that he was in so much pain they were using a paralytic to block the nerves."

"That's what Severus told me, too." Ana nodded. "I hope you understand that I'm speaking frankly because you need to know what you're getting into. This won't be easy for you."

"What do you mean?"

"Once he regains consciousness, awareness of what's happened…he'll push you away. That's what I did to Severus. He owled me while I was in hospital, before I got my prosthetic arm. I…was horrible to him."

"You weren't that bad, dear." Severus said, walking into the kitchen. "I believe the piroshky are done."

"Oh dear! I-" Ana said, springing up from her chair.

"I have this under control, dear." Severus said, slipping on an oven mitt and opening the door to remove the baking sheet.

"Piroshky! Piroshky!" Nina chanted excitedly, dancing around her father as he placed the sheet of the tarts on the stovetop to cool.

"They must cool first, Nina." Her father smirked, tousling her hair affectionately. "Come, let's go see about Marcus. I think I heard him stirring."

After they had left, Ana looked back at Luna.

"I was awful to him, never mind what he says." She sighed. "I was hateful to him. I didn't want him to see me like I was, so I told him that I hated him, that I knew he was a Death Eater and that I would hex him into oblivion if he came near me."

"But you're married to him now." Luna said shyly.

"Yes, I am." Ana smiled shyly. "He accepted me, my scars, and my prosthetic arm, my…cancer…he's been there for me, through everything."

Ana poured tea for them, and then got up to use a small spatula to lift the piroshky onto a plate, bringing them back to the table.

"Careful, they're still a bit hot." She said, sitting down.

"Point is," Ana said, placing a small plate in front of herself and Luna, "He'll be difficult, but don't take it too personally. If you want him, then be brave, be persistent. In a way, you are John's Severus. You have the potential to help him through this, if you have the courage to."

"I don't know if I can." Luna whispered miserably.

Ana sighed, leaning forward to take her hand gently.

"Luna, you are stronger than you know." She said kindly. "Do you love him?"

Luna nodded.

"Then you will be strong enough, I know it." Ana smiled. "Now, I think I hear Marcus waking up. Would you mind holding him while I call Severus and Nina for tea?"

oOo

January 20, 2004~

"Miss Luna Lovegood?" Called the secretary into the waiting area. Harry patted Luna on the hand encouragingly, and they rose, walking across to the Minister of Magic's office door.

"Hello, Harry." Kingsley Shacklebolt said, scanning the papers in a folder on his desk. "Miss Lovegood, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir." Luna said, forcing herself to speak up with a confidence she didn't really feel.

"I am given to understand that you wish to see John Worthington, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

"Why?" Shacklebolt frowned, shooting Harry a glare. "I'm fairly certain that you shouldn't even know that the man exists."

"Sir," Harry began, "if I may-"

"No, you may not, Mr. Potter." The Minister said sharply. "I believe that Miss Lovegood is the party I am speaking to on this matter. You and I will discuss later just why Miss Lovegood even knows of the existence of a deep cover agent. Why do you wish to see Auror Worthington, Miss Lovegood?"

Luna swallowed nervously, looking up at the Minister.

"I'm pregnant with his child." She said softly, hoping her knees wouldn't give way completely. "We had a love affair last summer, and then he disappeared. He didn't return my owls, and later I found out that he couldn't-"

"This is troubling." Shacklebolt rumbled, scowling at Harry. "I was given to understand that John had no ties when he was assigned to this case."

"We…we weren't official, sir." Luna said quickly. "We spent a few weeks together in Bermuda last summer, and when I never heard from him…"

"Mm-hmn." The Minister nodded, turning his attention back to the folder. Luna could now see that it was marked 'Lovegood, L' on the tab. Shacklebolt snapped it closed, tossing it on his desk.

"Please, Miss Lovegood, sit down." He rumbled, glancing over at Harry.

Luna moved to the chair, settling in it gingerly, her hand coming up to rest on her swollen belly protectively.

"If you don't mind my asking, how far along are you, Miss Lovegood?"

"Five months." She said softly. "My due date isn't until May."

"I see that you're enrolled in graduate school at Beauxbartons. That's rather expensive, isn't it?"

"I have a scholarship, and a…friend is lending me her apartment. Harry and Ginny were kind enough to arrange for some house elves for me."

"Nice friends you have. That area is rather expensive for real estate, very exclusive. The apartment, it belongs to Ana Romanov-Snape, correct?"

"Yes. She…has taken a liking to me."

"I see. Do you understand, that while we are taking every precaution possible, that becoming involved with this could still mean you will be in danger?"

"I've been in danger before, sir. I fought in the last war."

"I see." Leaning forward, Shacklebolt opened the folder again, picking up a quill to scratch his signature on a form. "You now may visit John Worthington, as soon as I reset the wards. Harry, I think you should accompany her, so she knows how things are done."

"Yes, sir." Harry nodded.

"Thank you, Minister Shacklebolt." Luna said, feeling relieved.

oOo

Auror Timmons sat upright, embarrassed to have dozed off in his chair. While McCrory and Simms were out in the hall on the door, and he was behind the protection of the wards, he still felt ashamed that he'd nodded off.

A faint moan came from the bed, from the terribly maimed man in it. A chill went down Timmon's spine as he rose from his chair.

_My orders are to listen, to get whatever he might say, and report_, he thought uneasily. He leaned over Worthington, listening intently.

Abruptly, he found himself seized in a vice-like grip by the collar, gasping for breath as he struggled to get loose.

"Warn…Severus…Dolohov…he's a decoy…" John rasped, staring blindly at nothing. "Don't…let him into general population at Azkaban...keep him isolated…"

His hand relaxed, releasing Timmons to gasp for air, as John sagged back onto the bed, unconscious.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 28

January 24, 2004~

He was trembling, listening intently at the footsteps came closer to his bed. He knew he was in some kind of hospital bed, but not where.

"Mr. Worthington, are you cold?" A young woman's voice said gently as she touched his shoulder. He flinched involuntarily at the physical contact, flayed nerves screaming, stifling a scream.

"It's alright, sir." She said quickly, taking her hand away. "You're still a bit sensitive. We're trying to wean you off the paralytic so we can get some idea of how much damage there still is."

"I can't see." John said, still trembling like a terrified child. "Who are you? Where am I?"

"I'm one of your nurses, Healer Molly Kane." She said, fetching a light blanket to cover him with. "You're in a secret Ministry hospital, under guard 'round the clock by three Aurors, sir. You're probably the safest man in all of the UK."

He lay in the bed silently, digesting this information.

"Are you in much pain, sir?" The healer asked. "On a scale of one to ten, with ten being the most severe, and one the least, how bad do you rate it?"

"About a six, I think…sometimes an eight." John said softly, flexing his limbs experimentally. He clamped his mouth shut around a moan, gritting his teeth as pain flared through his body.

"I think," He said, once it had abated, "that was about a nine."

"Well, you'd better lay still and try to rest." Healer Kane said gently. "I need to leave you for a moment, to notify your physician that you are awake. Auror Mimbs is right here by your bed should you need anything."

He listened to her footsteps receding, and then a door opened and closed. Someone shifted in a chair nearby, the legs of the chair creaking a bit.

"Pleasure to be guarding you, Mr. Worthington." A young man's voice.

"Mimbs." John mumbled, thinking back. "Didn't we work together in Madrid, in '01?"

"Yes, sir. The Parker case. Nasty business, that was."

"It was."

"If you don't mind my asking, since you were senior Auror on the case, what happened to those two, Clevin and Matthew?"

"Azkaban."

"Right. Well, they deserved it." Mimbs said with satisfaction. "From what I hear, them what had you won't be going to Azkaban."

"Oh?"

"From what I was told, Professor Snape gave them their punishment on the spot."

oOo

Luna walked through her apartment-actually, Professor Romanov-Snape's, but it had come to feel like home to her-headed briskly to the fireplace.

"Luna, are you there?" Ginny called again.

"Right here, Ginny." She said, sitting down on the rug before the fireplace. She'd found that sitting cross-legged on the floor helped her back, even though it could be difficult to get up at times.

_So much is difficult_, she thought, _now that I have a little passenger with me._

"John's awake, Luna." Ginny said excitedly. "Harry just flooed me with the news."

Luna felt as if she'd been punched in the stomach, butterflies warring with other emotions within her. Putting her head down, she shut her eyes to close out the room that seemed to whirl around her.

_I'm glad I sat down on the floor_, she thought. _If I were to faint, I wouldn't have far to fall, at least._

"Luna, are you alright?"

"Um, yes. I'm still here. Just a bit of a shock."

"Sorry about that." Ginny said meekly. "Look, Harry asked me to explain things to you. First, John is still blind. The healers don't know if it's permanent, or some kind of temporary thing. He's still in a great deal of pain, and a bit disoriented. But if you want to go visit, Harry said he'd take you this weekend. Just floo over to our house around eight in the morning, so we can visit a bit, okay?"

Luna sucked in a deep breath, and then blew it out, raising her head.

"Tell him that's fine." She said, with a confidence that she really didn't feel. "I'll see you tomorrow."

oOo

January 30, 2004~

"Severus." Minister Shacklebolt rumbled, coming out from behind his desk to clasp Severus' hand in a warm handshake. "It's been a long time."

"Indeed." Severus said softly. "Our last meeting was not so friendly, as I recall."

"We were all playing our roles, weren't we?" Shacklebolt said, a hint of regret in his voice. Severus nodded.

"I believe we all know each other here." The Minister continued, waving to the other men already seated in the room.

"I don't understand why I am here." Severus said, taking a seat.

"Because you were specifically mentioned by our agent, Severus. It appears that we all have been deceived by Anton Dolohov."

"But, he's in Azkaban, his group broken up-"

"May I, Minister?" Auror Ronald Erickson, a tall, lanky man said. "Auror Erickson, Professor Snape. I was in charge of the Dolohov investigation, and later, 'Operation Sparrow.'"

"'Operation Sparrow'?"

Erickson shifted uncomfortably under Snape's piercing gaze.

"As in, 'his eye is on the sparrow'." He glanced at the Minister nervously.

"Seeing as the operation has been compromised, there is no harm in telling him." Shacklebolt said. "If it wouldn't have been for Severus being in the area by chance, we would not have a sparrow any longer."

"I take it that 'Operation Sparrow' was the undercover operation that John was working when he was captured and nearly killed." Severus said, throwing Erickson an acid glare. "Fine job of protecting him."

"We did the best we could to protect him!" Erickson snapped, glaring back at Snape defiantly.

"It was obviously not good enough." Severus sneered back.

"Enough of this!" Shacklebolt shouted, slamming his hand down on the table before him. "Severus, hold your tongue. Erickson, explain the operation."

Snape leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms, glowering at Erickson.

"Um…right." Erickson began again. "'Operation Sparrow' was intended to place an agent within a Death Eater cell in Eastern Europe. The first phase of the operation went well, with John resigning his commission as an Auror and using a portkey to flee to Czechoslovakia with funds 'embezzled' from the operational funds of the Ministry. Warrants were promptly issued for his arrest, though if he would have been picked up, there would have been a miraculous 'escape,' followed by intensified searching, carefully misdirected by the Ministry. He was able to purchase an apartment to use as a base of operations in Prague, and had made initial contact with three Death Eater cells, when…things went wrong."

"A masterpiece of understatement." Severus hissed, earning a sharp glare from Shacklebolt.

"Two teams of Death Eaters, of approximately 15 each, attacked his apartment at 0430 Saturday October 4, 2003. Fiendfyre was used to set the entire apartment complex ablaze, with _bombarda maxima_ being used to gain access to Auror Worthington's apartment. After a brief struggle, he was incapacitated-"

"Must you read all the gory details off to me?" Severus snapped. "I'm well aware that they blew up the apartment complex, seized him, and carried him off to Poland!"

"Severus, there is no point in being difficult." Harry said gently.

"All the same, he is safe," Snape sighed, "at least, we hope so. You said there was new information regarding Dolohov."

"There is." Shacklebolt nodded. "Auror Timmons? Would you tell us what John told you when he awakened?"

"Yes, sir." Timmons said, leaning forward. "He said, 'Warn…Severus…Dolohov…he's a decoy…don't let him into general population at Azkaban...keep him isolated…"

Timmons looked over at Shacklebolt, then at Severus.

"That's all he said, sir. The first time he woke up. The second time, he was able to stay awake longer, and he told me more."

"Such as?" Severus said, leaning forward in his chair eagerly.

"To summarize, Dolohov was a 'sacrificial lamb', intended to be given up once he had attracted enough attention. His primary job was to get into Azkaban, to make contact with imprisoned Death Eaters."

"Merlin…" Severus said under his breath.

"I would recommend you separate Dolohov from the others imprisoned in Azkaban." Severus said, feeling a bit ill. "Also, you'd better increase security. I would expect a breakout attempt soon, especially now that 'Operation Sparrow' has been uncovered."

"Already done." Erickson said, leaning back. "Dolohov has a special cell now, and we've tripled the guards on all shifts."

"I do hope that is adequate." Severus said quietly. "At least, more adequate than the security surrounding 'Operation Sparrow."

oOo

Luna walked down the hallway, the smell of antiseptic sharp in her nostrils as she followed the Healer, their shoes clicking softly on the tile floor. Pausing at a door, the Healer pressed her palm to a flat panel. There was _click_ and the door swung open, allowing the Healer to step through, holding the door open for Luna.

"Healer Molly Kane, Miss Lovegood." The Healer had introduced herself after Luna safely came through the external wards. "Mind your step there."

"My husband Brian and I are expecting; I'm about 3 months along." She smiled, glancing down at Luna's belly. "How far along are you?"

"Six months." Luna said, feeling a bit queasy. Breakfast hadn't set well with her today, though not because she had morning sickness.

_This will be the first time I've seen him since Bermuda_, she thought to herself. _What should I say?_

"Six months! That's wonderful." Healer Kane went on, leading Luna through the maze of hallways and guarded doors. "Please tell me that the morning sickness thing doesn't last."

"It doesn't." Luna said. "I was pretty much over that by the fourth month. Some days, breakfast just isn't possible, still. It varies, day to day."

"Doesn't it though! One of my best friends, she was sick nearly all the way to delivery."

Turning the corner, Luna saw a heavy door, flanked by two Aurors. A third Auror sat at the end of the hallway, watching everyone carefully.

"Luna Lovegood, here to visit our patient." Healer Kane said cheerfully.

"Your wand, please." The larger of the two Aurors said, holding out his hand. "We'll be holding it for the duration of your visit. The wards will detect any wandless or non-verbal magic. I don't recommend trying anything."

"Now, Ben, don't be so gruff." Healer Kane said sharply, nodding toward Luna. "She's his girl, and she's expecting. So don't be trying to frighten her."

Luna, having turned quite pale, held her wand out with a trembling hand. With a frown and a sigh, Ben took it from her, storing it in a locker and handing her the key.

"My apologies, miss." He said a bit more gently. "He's my friend, and I won't have anyone hurting him. I didn't know he had a girlfriend, though. I'm sorry if I scared you."

"It…it's alright." Luna said softly, still shaking.

"We have to pass through one at a time," Healer Kane said gently. "I'll go first, so that Marty knows we have a visitor."

Luna nodded, watching as the Healer stepped through the doorway. After a moment, she called out to Luna.

"Go ahead." Ben nodded.

Luna stepped through the doorway, feeling as if something was pricking her body all over, a momentary flash of white, and then it was over. She stood in a hospital room, blinking after the flash, little motes of light seeming to float in front of her eyes.

"Are you alright?" Healer Kane said, taking her by the arm. "You still look rather pale. It's a bit of a shock, the first time you go through these wards, even after they've been set to accept your magical signature. I imagine they'd be pretty nasty if you weren't supposed to go through."

"I…I think I need to sit down." Luna said, feeling more than little lightheaded.

"Come, sit down then." The Auror standing guard said, getting up from his chair and moving it over by the bed.

Healer Kane and the Auror helped her to the chair, where she sat down with a sigh of relief.

"Is he awake?" Healer Kane asked the Auror.

"No, ma'am. He's been sleeping pretty well today, though." The Auror replied, and then turned to Luna. "Marty Parker, ma'am. Aren't you Xenophilius Lovegood's daughter?"

"Um…yes." Luna said, blushing. "I'm Luna Lovegood."

"Marty, for heaven's sake!" Healer Kane fussed, "She's here for a visit with her man. Let her see him."

"Pardon me." Marty chuckled, moving out of the way. "Just thought I recognized her. Tell your dad hello from me next time you see him."

Luna nodded politely, only half-hearing what he said. Her eyes were locked on John.

He was suspended above the mattress with a _levitation_ charm, to prevent bedsores forming on his already badly damaged body. Covered with a blanket that was likewise suspended just above him with a _levitation_ charm, Luna couldn't see much, save for his face, or his heavily bandaged hands. Every so often, he twitched slightly, as if dreaming.

Auror Parker and Healer Kane exchanged a glance, with the Healer holding her finger up to her lips.

Luna was biting her lip, so hard she tasted blood, her slim body shuddering as she tried to keep from weeping openly.

"John…" She finally sobbed aloud, reaching out blindly with her hand.

"Miss Lovegood-" Auror Parker began, stopping when Healer Kane put a restraining hand on his arm.

"I don't think she would harm him, Marty." Healer Kane said quietly, then stepped over to Luna.

"I think it would be alright for you to touch him, Luna." She said, helping her up from her chair.

Gradually, the healer helped Luna to the side of the bed, with Luna leaning heavily on her for support. Auror Parker stepped over to support Luna from the other side, earning a grateful smile from Healer Kane.

"Go ahead." Healer Kane said gently. "He may not be comfortable with you touching him at first, mind you. It was a few weeks before we healers could touch him without him being fearful or combative."

_I understand now, why Ana wanted to talk to me_, Luna thought, _she wanted me to be prepared as best I could be for this. For the sight of him. For the shock of seeing the burns._

With an unsteady hand, she reached over to his face, to touch him on one of the few uninjured areas of his body. As her fingers made contact, her touch as light as a butterfly landing, he shifted slightly, giving out a low moan.

"It's alright." Healer Kane said encouragingly. "He does that sometimes. Talk to him. Let him know you're here."

"John…" Luna sobbed, sagging weakly against them.

oOo

She was at home, studying in her bedroom, when the floo activated.

"Luna, are you there?" Ana's voice came to her from the sitting room.

"Right here, Professor." Luna said, setting down her textbook and walking into the sitting room.

"Do you mind if I come over?" Ana's greenish face asked from the flames. "Both of my children are finally asleep, and I wanted to check on you."

"No, I don't mind."

As soon as she assented, Ana stepped out of her fireplace, brushing the fine ash from her robes.

"I knew you went to visit John for the first time today, and I wanted to make sure you were alright, dear." Ana said, walking over to sit on the couch. "Did everything go well?

"Yes, and no." Luna sighed, sitting down at the other end of the couch.

"Tell me what happened, dear."

"He…he hit me."

"Oh, no!" Ana exclaimed, her hand flying to her mouth.

"Not hard, just a glancing blow." Luna said softly, holding up her arm to show Ana the bruise. "Healer Kane says that he sometimes is combative while he's not awake…and he's a bit sensitive to being touched."

"Did he ever wake up while you were there?"

"No." Luna sighed sadly. "He…had a bad night, so they had increased his dosage of the pain medication. So, he didn't talk to me, even though I talked to him for the whole hour I was there."

"You did? Good."

"I wanted to thank you, for trying to prepare me." Luna said softly. "I…it was pretty bad."

"I'm sure." Ana shuddered, repressing old memories. "I haven't been to see him myself, but Severus has told me enough. So, you plan to go back?"

"Can I?" Luna asked, her eyes widening.

"Oh, yes. Severus told Harry that you needed unlimited visitation, due to your relationship and your carrying his child." Ana said. "I insisted on it."

_I'll not mention that I had to floo Minister Shacklebolt and scorch his ears a bit to get permission for Luna to visit that much_, Ana thought to herself. _No need for Luna to know of that._

Luna blushed deeply, looking down at her hands.

"Oh, come now, dear." Ana said, gently lifting Luna's chin back up. "Nobody has said anything critical of you being pregnant. We have more serious things to worry about than someone's Victorian ideas of propriety."

"But daddy-"

"Never mind your father. We'll work on him, and he'll come 'round." Ana smiled. "Now, about next weekend. Are you free? Because Nina's been bugging me about when 'Aunt Luna' will come visit us again."

"I have to do some revising for the next exams, but I should be free to visit Sunday, after I see John."

"Excellent! We'll be looking forward to it."

oOo

As rooms at Azkaban go, it might have been a bit drier than most. Ten feet square, no window, just a glowing lamp in the ceiling, with a drain in the floor and a simple toilet with sink in the corner. A steel cot sat along one wall, with a lumpy mattress and a worn blanket.

Antonin Dolohov paced the room anxiously. He'd already been put in a maximum security cell, but at least he had some friends to talk to, friends who were quite interested in the generous offer his benefactor wanted to make to them.

Freedom from Azkaban. The only requirement was a loyalty oath. More would be asked later.

Everything had been going so well, and then suddenly, he was yanked from his cell one night, bound and gagged, then dragged up to this tower to be tossed in this cell like so much refuse. Worst thing, he had been so disoriented by the experience, that he had no idea which of the featureless panels in the wall was the actual door for the cell, let alone where he was in the prison.

That damned Auror, the one who tried to infiltrate the cell in Prague. That had to be it.

_I warned them, that they should just kill him_, Dolohov thought angrily. _It was part of the plan, for me to be arrested and thrown in Azkaban, so I could make contact with the loyal Death Eaters here. Somehow, someone had rescued the Auror, and killed thirty members of the Prague and Warsaw cells. Who?_

He rubbed his eyes, wracking his brain for the answer.

With a grinding sound, one of the panels slid open, and in stepped two Aurors, wands drawn and pointed at him. They stepped to either side of the door, allowing Kingsley Shacklebolt to enter.

"Well, well. If it isn't the Minister of Magic, here to hear my plea for release." Dolohov said mockingly.

"Actually, Dolohov," Shacklebolt said calmly, "You won't be released anytime soon, not without full cooperation. We have questions, and you have answers."

"Sod off, Shacklebolt. I don't have to tell you anything."

The Minister smiled, a thin, nasty smile, and then nodded to the two Aurors, who put away their wands and left the room.

"I know my rights." Dolohov said defiantly. "You can only ask questions, and you can't use anything on me."

"We won't be asking you questions, Antonin." Shacklebolt said. "We brought someone who can get the answers, whether you wish to give them freely or not. We only have to leave him in the room with you until he's finished finding out everything, and believe me, he will not be gentle. If you cooperate, he might let you keep what remains of your mind."

"You wouldn't dare." The prisoner sputtered, "No one can possibly do that-"

"I can, Mr. Dolohov." Severus Snape said coldly, walking into the room. "And given the grief you've caused my family and I over the past few years, I will take a great deal of…pleasure in doing this."

Dolohov's face went completely pale.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 29

February 2, 2004~

Ana started awake at the sound of the door of the Potions classroom being opened.

_Three a.m._, she frowned disapprovingly. Anxiously, she watched the door.

Just before it opened, she lay her head back down against her pillow, closing her eyes tightly. As Severus closed the door gently, she opened her eyes and yawned, stretching for good measure.

"You've been waiting up for me," Severus said with a sigh of resignation, "so don't even attempt to pretend to be asleep. I know how you are. You want to know what I found out."

"Oh, alright." Ana pouted. "I was hoping you might awaken your princess with a kiss."

"What sentimental rubbish." He smirked, leaning down and kissing her. "My 'princess' is asleep in her bed, or should be. My 'queen', nosy as she is, waited up for me, as I knew she would."

"So, what can you tell me?" She asked, after he kissed her again.

With a sigh, Severus sat down on the couch, running a hand through his hair.

"I can tell you with no doubt, using _Legilimency_ on Antonin Dolohov, is quite possibly one of the most unpleasant experiences of my life. It is the mental equivalent of wading the sewers of London barefoot."

"Ew." Ana said, making a face of disgust. "Did you leave him anything of his mind?"

"Yes. The Minister insisted on it, as we may want to talk to him further. I was able to get quite a bit of useful information, which I am not allowed to discuss with you. Suffice it to say, we have an idea of where to go now."

"Good." She nodded. "I'm tired of waiting on the enemy to make the next move. We give up too much of an advantage."

"We have too much to lose for you to get involved, my fierce little bride." He said softly. "Assisting with the investigation is the limit of my involvement, as well. We don't want to make orphans of Nina and Marcus."

"True. Shall we go to bed now?" Ana said, getting up from the couch. "I don't sleep well without you to cuddle with."

"Let's. It's been a long day, and I'm exhausted."

With a brief pause to look in on Marcus and Nina, they walked down the short hallway to their bedroom.

oOo

March 13, 2004~

"Uthor." She said, handing over her wand.

"Miss Luna." The big man nodded back, putting into the locker and handing her the key. "Didn't expect you until tomorrow. Long weekend?"

"No, I'm visiting with the Snapes tomorrow, and I didn't want to miss a weekend with him."

"Ah." Uthor smiled. "Well, he's awake, last I heard. They've been weaning him off the painkillers, so he might be a bit testy."

"That's alright." Luna smiled. "I'm in this for the long haul."

The Auror picked up a phone handset.

"One visitor cleared to enter, Miss Luna Lovegood."

After a few minutes, a key rattled in the door, and it swung open. Auror Timmons' face appeared, breaking into a grin.

"Miss Luna! Come in, please!"

Luna walked into the hospital room, barely flinching at the tingling on her skin and the flash dazzling her eyes as she passed through the wards. She'd worried about what effect it might have on her unborn baby until she'd discussed it with Healer Kane.

"Nothing to fret about, Luna." Molly had told her, smiling. "They wouldn't allow me to take care of him if there was a danger, and I pass through that ward at least 8 times a shift. The Aurors explained to me that it has to do with evil intent, and how could an unborn child have such?"

Now, Luna was nearly to John's bedside, again, watching Timmons slide a chair over to the bed so she could be close to him.

"Hey, you! Stop playing at being asleep." Timmons smiled, tapping on the bedframe. "Your girl's here to see you!"

John's eyes flew open.

"She's not my girl. Send her away." He rasped, causing Luna to flinch slightly.

Biting her lip, she mentally braced herself.

_Oh, Merlin. Bad day_, she thought. _We can do this._

"Good morning, John." She said, in her sweetest voice.

"Go away."

"No." She laughed cheerfully, though it was an act. His words felt like acid on her raw emotions.

_I have to remember that he's not in his right mind, that it's the pain talking_, she reminded herself, biting her lip. _Doesn't mean that it doesn't hurt._

"Did you sleep well, darling?" Luna asked, sitting down next to his bed in the chair.

"No. What do you care?" He hissed, wincing when he moved slightly to adjust his position.

"I care about you, John." She said softly, not breaking eye contact. "I don't want you to hurt. I want you to heal. You need to get well so-"

"So 'what'? So I can be a cripple?"

"So you can be a father." She said gently, reaching over to stroke his forehead, surprised when he didn't flinch away.

_Well, that's progress_, she thought happily. _He used to jerk away from my hand when I touched him._

She continued to look at him steadily, meeting his hazel eyes with her blue ones, until abruptly, he looked away.

"Leave me alone." He whispered, his voice cracking.

"No."

"Please, just go away. I…I can't do anything to help you. I can't even wipe my own arse…I-"

"Oh, when my visiting hours are over, I'll leave, John." Luna said, feeling a bit more confident. "But I'll be back next weekend. And I've applied for visitation in the evenings, during the week. So I'm going to keep coming back, over and over."

_I'm not going to give up_, she thought grimly. _I won't let you give up, John._

"Please-"

"Don't give up, John." She pleaded, by now leaning over him on the bed. "You have to keep going, keep fighting. You have to get well."

"I don't think-"

She placed her finger on his lips.

"Shush. I know that inside, you're still the wonderful man that I fell in love with in Bermuda. You're just hurting right now, and you have a lot healing up to do."

oOo

Ana walked briskly down the stairs toward the dungeons, her notebook and planning book under her arm, having been kept late at an administrative meeting with the Headmistress going over changes to the curriculum. Nodding curtly to a group of first years darting down the hall to make it back to the dorms before curfew, she smirked slightly. As one, they slowed their pace, nervously eyeing the dreaded Potions Mistress until she swept past them.

_Nothing like keeping them on their toes_, she thought. _Hugo Messer, he's so nervous around me, but he's really a very nice lad, and quite good with potions. And that Susan deWenthe, very talented with so many subjects. So many good students…I think I'll ask Neville to do some tutoring of the Messer boy, they have much in common._

Breezing in through the Potions classroom, she entered their private quarters, to find Nina and Marcus playing in front of the fireplace on the play rug, and Madam Pince and Severus deep in conversation. Severus looked up as soon as she came in, frowning at her.

"What?" Ana said, setting her books down. "I warned you that I might be late tonight. Professor Sprout took up thirty minutes nattering on improvements that would be needed for the gardens, and…"

She paused to look around her, frowning.

"Where's Luna?" Ana asked, an uneasy feeling coming over her.

Severus sighed, closing his book and setting it aside.

"Come with me." He said, getting up from his armchair. Nina looked up at him.

"No, sweetheart." He said gently. "Nina, Aunt Luna is upset. I think that your mum needs to talk to her for a bit."

"Oh, no." Ana said anxiously, following Severus down the hallway, from the sitting room, past the kitchen and the nursery. Before reaching the bathroom, he paused, leaning against the wall.

"Before you talk to her, she came in, seemingly in a good mood." He said quietly, after casting _silenceo_ on them. "However, John had a bad night before her visit, and was in particularly ugly form for her today. My understanding is that she put on a brave face, but his words still hurt, and she is upset because of that. She won't talk to me about it, and she won't talk to mother."

"I'll talk to her." Ana said, reaching for the doorknob.

"Are you sure you'll be alright with this?" He asked, his eyes dark with concern, catching her hand with a gentle grasp that bordered on a caress.

She took a deep breath and blew it out softly, then nodded.

"I might need you later." Ana said softly, releasing the doorknob and curling her fingers around his.

"I'll be in the sitting room." Severus said, giving her a kiss on the cheek. He canceled the _silenceo_ charm and left her there, standing before the bathroom door.

Ana paused for a moment, gathering her courage, then knocked.

"Luna? Are you alright?" She called softly.

There was a long pause, then footsteps shuffling to the door. The lock clicked as the door unlocked and it swung open.

Her eyes were red and puffy from crying, her make up smeared. She dabbed at her eyes with a hanky.

"No." Luna said softly, in a voice that was raw and nearly inaudible.

"Come with me, dear." Ana said gently, taking her by the arm and leading her to the kitchen. Putting a box of tissues in front of Luna, she put the kettle on, moving quickly and efficiently, and then closed the door.

"Tell me what happened." She said, sitting down close to Luna.

"It's no big deal." Luna said, looking down at her lap.

"No, it is a big deal, because you're upset by it." Ana said, leaning forward and putting her hand on Luna's. "I warned you it was going to be rough, didn't I?"

Luna nodded miserably, fresh tears trickling down her cheeks.

"I…I'm sorry to spoil the evening." She said, taking a tissue and dabbing at her eyes. "I know Nina was looking forward to it, and Severus had to explain to her why I flew in and locked myself in the loo-"

"Sweetheart, don't worry about it." Ana said, pushing the tissues closer to her. "Nina won't remember it in another hour. We'll get this worked out, and we'll put on the happy face, and after a while, everything will be better."

"I don't know," Luna said, her lower lip quivering. "I just don't know if I can do this."

"What did he say to you?"

"He asked me to leave. He told me to go away, that he couldn't help me, that he couldn't even wipe his own arse."

"And how did you respond to that?'

"I told him I wouldn't leave. That I would keep coming back."

"Good for you." Ana smiled. "He needs this. Severus was like this too, when he first awoke from his coma. All hateful and prickly, not wanting any help."

"What did you do?"

"I ignored him, to tell the truth." Ana shrugged. "We were living right across the Potions classroom from each other, so it was difficult to avoid the insufferable git, but I managed."

Luna giggled weakly.

"What?" Ana said, puzzled.

"Oh, just you referring to Professor Snape like that." Luna smiled. "I'd be rich if I had a Knut for every time I've heard him called a 'git'."

"Well, he can be rather irritating."

"Quite. So what changed?" Luna asked, her problem momentarily forgotten.

"He slipped and fell one night getting out of the tub." Ana sighed. "I just happened to have to go to the Potions classroom to get a book, and heard him call out for help. Good thing, too, as he might have caught his death of a cold, laying there wet and naked on the floor."

Now Luna found herself clapping her hand over her mouth to stifle a laugh.

A gentle knocking at the door reminded them they were not alone.

"Who is it?" Ana called.

"Madam Pince, dear."

"Do you mind if my mother-in-law comes in, too?" Ana asked, smirking. "We can sit here telling tales on Severus."

Luna giggled again, nodding her head yes.

"Come in, Irma." Ana called out.

The door swung open and Madam Pince stepped in, closing the door behind her. Crossing to the table, she took a seat.

"Well, Marcus is out for the count, bless his heart." She smiled. "I just put him to bed. Severus is working on getting Nina to where she's sleepy, but she's fighting it tooth and nail."

"How are you feeling, dear?" Madam Pince said, turning to Luna.

"Better." Luna smiled. "Ana always knows how to cheer me up. She's almost as good as Ginny and Hermione."

"Well, she's good at that." The older woman smiled. "How are you and your baby doing, dear?"

"Pretty well. She's rather active lately, probably because of all the traveling I've been doing."

Ana got up and took the kettle off when it began to whistle.

"How about some chamomile tea?" she asked, getting four cups out. "It should help us all sleep well. Merlin knows, I may have to slip some to Nina if Severus can't get her settled."

"That would be lovely, dear." Madam Pince said. "I can finish the tea if you need to help him."

"Would you?" Ana said, giving a sigh of relief. "I'll just pop out and check on him, make sure she's behaving."

Going to the door, Ana slipped through quietly.

Luna sat at the table, an awkward silence descending on the kitchen as Madam Pince prepared the tea. The older woman moved with easy grace, even preparing some small tea sandwiches, putting them on a plate with some biscuits.

"Here we go." She said, carrying the plate over to set it in front of Luna. "I'm sure you're famished, dear."

"Thank you." Luna said shyly, picking up a cucumber sandwich.

"I take it that your young man is being difficult?" Madam Pince asked.

Luna swallowed the bite she was chewing and chuckled, covering her mouth as she did.

"That's an understatement." She said. "He's grumpy as a bear."

"I'm sure. He's no doubt quite disoriented, given what all has happened to him in the past six months."

Luna nodded.

"It was worse when he couldn't see. He was so afraid, of everything. This slightest touch, a sudden noise, if he didn't know what it was…"

She paused, rubbing her eyes while Madam Pince waited patiently.

"Sorry about that."

"It's perfectly alright, dear. Merlin knows, you're under a great deal of stress right now."

Luna took a sip of her tea. At that moment, Ana and Severus came in the kitchen, Ana leaving the door carefully cracked behind them to listen for the children.

"Is this a 'girls-only' club?" Severus smirked, pouring himself a cup of tea and leaning against the counter as Ana sat back down in her chair.

"Mm." Ana murmured, putting down her teacup. "Thank you, mother, for putting a warming charm on my tea. Severus, I think you should be in on this. After all, he is your friend."

"I'm a bit outnumbered here." He sighed, and then looked at Luna. "I take it that John is being difficult."

"Just a bit." She nodded. "Just telling me to leave him alone, saying that he's useless, a cripple. Things like that. I just let it get to me…not where he could see, of course."

"Good for you." Severus nodded approvingly. "He's very stubborn, absolutely hates to be a burden to anyone. Always has been. I suggest that once he gets out of the hospital, you let him do everything on his own. Only help him if he asks. You'll be busy enough when the baby is born."

"Excuse me, but…" Luna said, her eyes wide with surprise. "…you make it sound like we're man and wife. He and I haven't even discussed such a thing at all."

"I suggest you do so, then." Severus smirked. "I know John quite well…and you're the first woman he's even paid any attention to in the past twenty years. He's always been consumed by his work, his career. He's quite smitten by you, I can tell from talking to him."

"Then why doesn't he-"

"Before he was injured, he probably thought he was too old for you." Severus said softly. "Now, he probably believes himself too broken. You're doing fine, Miss Lovegood. I support you in this.

"Now, if you don't mind, your presence has been requested by Princess Nina. She says she needs her 'Aunt' Luna to read her a story before she can sleep."

oOo

April 17, 2004~

He was sitting up, in a wheelchair, when she came into his room. Healer Kane was changing the sheets on his bed, and John was talking to her quietly. They stopped talking when Auror Mimbs unlocked the door and let Luna into the room, helping her to her chair.

"Oh…thank you so much." She said, smiling at the Auror. "Merlin knows, I can hardly walk lately. You have so much to look forward to, Healer Kane."

"Don't I know it." The healer chuckled, tucking the corners under the mattress neatly. "John, do you feel up to sitting in your wheelchair while Luna visits today? Do you want a blanket?"

Luna glanced at his legs, what skin there was showing red and raw, and felt her stomach turn a flip. When she looked back up, he was looking directly at her, his expression defiant.

_Oh, so this is how you're going to be today, eh?_ She thought grimly. _Fine, then. I can handle this. You're not going to scare me off that easy._

"No." He said, his voice flat and cold. "I'm not cold."

Healer Kane glanced at Luna, then back at her patient, then at Auror Mimbs.

"Alright, then." The Healer said calmly. "Auror Mimbs, do you think you could give me a hand with these linens? My back hurts a bit, and we both know they've relaxed the guard on him somewhat."

"Um…alright, Healer Kane." Mimbs said uneasily, getting back up from his chair. "I guess we don't have to keep such a close guard on him now, do we?"

When the door closed behind them, Luna turned to John.

"Well, that was a bit obvious." She said, smiling nervously.

"I told you not to come back."

"I don't have to do as you say." She replied crisply. "I don't take orders from you."

For a moment, she thought she'd gone too far with it. He sat in his wheelchair, shaking with anger, his face reddening, unable to speak.

Then, he seemed to relax, sagging in the wheelchair. Closing his eyes tightly, he let out his breath in a long sigh.

John looked down at the floor, then back up at Luna. He was biting his lip, his chin trembling.

"I…I'm sorry, Luna." He said quietly. "I…I've been horrid to you. What they did to me-"

"Hush, John. It's alright. I understand."

"I don't." He said, sniffing, trying to hold back his tears. "I don't understand why you would want me-"

"Shush." She said, taking his head gently in her hands and pressing her lips to his.

"Luna." His voice wavered somewhere between a prayer and a plea, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Shh." She gently kissed his cheeks, as he sobbed openly.

"John Worthington, I knew you were who I wanted the first time I met you." Luna said softly. "Remember?"

oOo

Sometime after nightfall, May 1, 1998~

"Secure the corridor, John." Kingsley Shacklebolt said, his wand still held at the ready. "Make sure the students are safe."

John Worthington checked the corridor, taking up a post near the doorway of the Great Hall. Shacklebolt had selected him for his size as well as his magical ability; he was 6' 4" and powerfully built, having been on the Slytherin Quiddich team during his time at Hogwarts as a beater with a fearsome reputation on a broom. Wand at the ready, the young Auror walked down the hallway toward a petite blond girl who seemed to be aimlessly wandering the corridor, looking up at the rafters.

_Oh, boy_, he thought._ A straggler. I'd better get her back into the Great Hall._

"Pardon, me, Miss…" He said firmly, yet kindly ("Don't frighten the students, John," Shacklebolt had warned him earlier), "It's not safe to be wandering the halls."

"Oh…hello." The tiny blond gazed up at him with a dreamy expression, with bright blue eyes framed in a perfect china doll face. "Have you been troubled with Nargles your whole life?"

"What? No! I…" John stammered, taken aback by her question. "There's no such thing as a Nargle, young lady!"

"You're very tall." She said calmly, putting on a set of Spectrespecs and peering at him closely. "How tall are you? Do you ever bump your head?"

For a moment, John was completely flabbergasted. The girl frowned, and then waved a hand toward his left shoulder.

"Go on, now. Shoo." She said firmly. "He seems like a nice man, you nasty Nargles. Leave him alone."

_She's crackers. Completely mad_, he thought, backing away slightly.

"I won't hurt you." She said, taking off the Spectrespecs and holding her hand out. "I'm Luna Lovegood. Nice to meet you, Mr. Very Tall Man."

He paused, then shifted his wand to his left and hesitantly took her hand in his right.

"I'm John Worthington, an Auror working with Kingsley Shacklebolt, Miss Lovegood."

She wrapped her free hand around his; her hands were cold.

"You have warm hands, Mr. John Worthington…and your eyes are very kind." Luna smiled gently. "No wonder that Nargles flock to you. You never shoo them away, do you?"

John looked around, becoming more nervous by the minute. A teenage girl was holding his hand, nattering on about Nargles and other imaginary creatures. This was very bad.

"Um, a pleasure to meet you, Miss Lovegood, but duty calls. And you really need to get yourself to the Great Hall, where you'll be safe." He said, pulling his hand from her grasp.

She looked up at him with those lovely blue eyes for a long moment, and then nodded her head.

"You stay safe, too. It was nice to meet you." She smiled enigmatically, then skipped as she went to the Great Hall, humming a tune as she went.

As she reached the door of the Great Hall, she looked back at him and waved.

"I like you, John Worthington. I'll see you again soon." She said, giving him a dazzling smile, then slipped inside.

It was only then that he realized that she was barefoot.

_Witches_, John sighed, shaking his head. This looked to be a very long night.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 30

March 21, 2004~Hogsmeade

"Luna, it looks great on you." Ginny smiled, admiring the fine material of the new robe. "I hate to say it, but you look great in Beauxbartons colors."

"I look fat." Luna sighed, running her hands over her swollen tummy, turning sideways to frown at her figure.

_Well, at least my breasts are finally getting bigger_, she thought to herself, and then sighed. _I'll have to buy some new brassieres, too._

"That's because you're pregnant, dear." Ana said, bringing in another armload of robes for Luna to try on. "In a few months, you'll get rid of most of it, then once little Elizabeth is toddling about, you'll be skinny as a rail from chasing her."

Ginny laughed out loud, covering her mouth, while Luna just smiled.

"Professor Romanov, this…these robes are just too expensive. I-" She said softly.

"Shush." Ana snapped, holding her finger up to Luna's lips. "This is a baby gift from me."

"But I-"

"Forget it. Young lady, you are not going to tell me how I should spend my money."

"I-" Luna said weakly.

"Luna, just give up already." Ginny grinned. "You're not going to win."

The blonde witch sighed, giving in.

"I wonder what's keeping Mother." Ana frowned. "She was right behind me, with some more robes for you to try on."

With a sigh, the Potions Mistress turned to the door.

"Try these." Ana commanded, tapping the pile of robes. "Keep that one you have on, it looks lovely on you."

"See? I told you so, Luna. Oh, and Professor?" Ginny winked at her mentor, holding her hands out widely before herself. "I think our girl needs some new bras, if you get my drift. At least 2 cup sizes larger, I'd say."

"Ginny!" Luna blushed crimson, swatting Ginny on the arm.

"I'll see what I can do, then." Ana smirked. "See if she'll hold still long enough for you to properly measure her, would you?"

Unbuttoning the robe Luna was wearing with her wand, Ginny folded the robe neatly and placed it on a smaller stack of clothing. Standing there in her bare feet and her maternity smock, Luna waited for Ginny to hand her the next robe to try on.

Ana walked out of the small dressing room, down a short hallway to the shop proper, looking for her mother-in-law. The clerk at the counter nodded to her politely, failing to hide her smile completely as the Potions Mistress from Hogwarts swept past her. Most weekends that Professor Romanov came to her shop, she often could close early; while the Professor could be downright testy at times and a shrewd haggler, she never failed to spend quite a few Galleons every visit.

Looking around the shop, Ana nearly missed Madam Pince. She was standing near the door, her arms loaded down with robes, talking to a tall man with long blonde hair that was going gray. Ana's eyes narrowed with anger.

The clerk cringed nervously as the expression on Ana's face darkened and one of her favorite customers swept past her, headed straight for Xenophilius Lovegood with murder in her eyes.

Stopping where Madam Pince could see her, she waited until her mother-in-law noticed she was standing behind Xenophilus. To give her credit, the older woman hardly flinched when her daughter-in-law came up like a storm cloud behind him.

"Oh, hello, Ana." Irma said pleasantly. "Just happened to run into Xenophilus Lovegood, the editor of The Quibbler. I'm sure you've heard of it?"

He turned around, a genial smile on his face.

"How do you do, Madam? Or is it…Mademoiselle, perhaps?" He said.

"Professor, Mr. Lovegood." Ana said, her smile not quite reaching her eyes, which were hard and cold. "As in, Professor Ana Romanov-Snape, Potions Mistress at Hogwarts."

"Ah, the lovely bride of Professor Snape." Lovegood said politely, "I had heard that Severus got married. Good for him."

"Shopping for robes, Mr. Lovegood?" Ana said cooly.

"Heavens, no. Just some other things I needed."

"I see." Ana nodded. "Mother, do you want me to take those for you? Luna's waiting for them."

Madam Pince went pale at that, her eyes darting to Xenophilius. All color drained from his face, his mouth working as if he were choking.

"Where is she?" He hissed, drawing himself up to tower over Ana. "Where the hell is my daughter?"

"She is with us, and she is under my protection."

"Your protection?! Your pro-" Xenophilus fairly shouted, looming over her until his words cut off with a strangled, "Urk!"

Behind the cowering clerk, near the dressing rooms, Luna cringed behind Ginny, stunned by the spectacle.

"This is bad." Ginny said quietly, in a voice that showed little of the unease she felt as she stood between her friend and the scene unfolding before them. "This is…very bad."

Xenophilus truly was looming over the smaller woman now, mainly because he was suspended in the air, his feet dangling some six inches above the floor as Ana dug her wand into his neck.

"I truly despise men who try to intimidate women, children, anyone weaker than them." Ana said calmly, as if discussing the weather with him. "That's about as low as you can sink, in my book. Quite unforgivable."

"Madam, I must insist that there be no dueling in the shop, please!" The frightened clerk sputtered.

Not even bothering to look at her, Ana pointed at the clerk with her left index finger, her right hand being occupied with her wand at the moment. The woman flinched, eyeing the black leather clad finger as if it were the barrel of a Muggle pistol aimed at her.

"I understand your concern, Madam." Ana said, her voice calm and serene. "However, a duel involves active participation between two consenting combatants. I'm sure that Mr. Lovegood understands that I will vaporize him if he moves to take his wand out, or do anything that I do not wish him to do."

Now, she pointed at Xenophilius with her left index finger, slowly lowering him to the floor, though not removing her wand from his neck.

"You are going to listen to me, and not speak." She said flatly, her eyes like flint. "You will only nod your head yes or shake your head no. Nothing else. Understood?"

After the briefest of hesitations, he nodded his head. _Yes_.

"Your daughter," Ana said coldly, "was found wandering the streets of London, in winter, with no shoes on. Her friends took her in and contacted me for help. We fed her, clothed her, and arranged for medical and prenatal care for her and her unborn child. I arranged for her to attend graduate school, allowed her to use an apartment that I own, and helped her get a scholarship to pay for it all. I have cared for her as if she were a member of my own family, invited her into my home, and trusted her with my children. I will protect her as if she were my own kin, to the death if need be."

Taking a breath, she pressed on.

"You turned your back on her when she needed you most, have you not?"

He hesitated. Ana dug her wand into his neck savagely, driving the blonde man to his knees.

"Have you not?" She hissed, her cheeks flushed with anger.

Trembling, stifling a cough, eyes watering, Xenophilus nodded. _Yes. Yes._

"Harry Potter, his wife, Ginny, and Hermione Granger have arranged for her to have house elves to help her around the house and help take care of her baby when it's born. Harry, Severus, and I arranged for her to see the father of her child in hospital, to ease her mind when she was worrying herself half sick about his whereabouts and condition. In contrast to everything I have just told you that we have done for her, you have done nothing, correct?"

Quickly, he nodded, a single tear rolling down his face, his eyes downcast. _Yes._

"Just because she wouldn't tell you who the baby's father was, you turned her out of your home."

_Yes._ Came the nod, misery etched on his face.

"Mr. Lovegood." Ana said gently, removing her wand from his neck.

Startled, he looked up at her.

"This must end. Today, if possible." She said, putting her wand in her sleeve. "In less than two months, you will be a grandfather. The father of Luna's baby is indisposed, injured while on duty. His identity is a closely-guarded Ministry secret that none of us can reveal, though all will be explained when possible to you. Luna loves him, and he cannot help her in his condition. It's all he can do right now to heal from his injuries. Therefore, you must help her. She needs you now, more than she's ever needed you.

"However, if you persist in being stubborn, you will hurt no one but yourself. Her needs will be met, regardless, by her friends. You are cutting yourself off from your own grandchild, which is stupid on your part. All because of your foolish pride."

Xenophilus stood before her, trembling, uncertain of what to do next. His mouth worked, but nothing came out.

"You may speak now, Mr. Lovegood." Ana prodded.

"I…I…don't know…" He said miserably.

"Luna." Ana called over her shoulder to the petite witch, still hiding behind her friend and the counter. "Come here."

Hesitantly, Luna came out from behind the counter, slowly making her way over to stand behind Ana, shifting from one bare foot to the other nervously. Her blue eyes darted to her father's face, then to Ana, then to the floor, then to the door, and back to Ana.

"Mr. Lovegood," Ana said gently, "I would suggest you say nothing right now. However, I think that you owe your daughter an apology, and a hug. It's time to mend the fences."

He looked at Luna, his mouth working, and then glanced at Ana when she put her hand on his sleeve.

"If you hurt her in any way," Ana said so softly that he could barely hear her, "I will be angry with you. You wouldn't like me when I'm angry. Also, I don't think I need to remind you as to just who my husband is. He wouldn't like to hear of this."

With that, she stepped aside, crossing her arms. Her chin held high, sharp gray eyes watching him.

He swallowed, trembling a bit, and then looked over at Luna.

"I…I'm sorry, darling." He said softly. "I'm sorry I said the cruel things I said, sorry that I told you to get out…I'm sorry for everything. I'm sorry I hurt you."

Luna nodded.

"It's okay, Daddy." She said gently, and then smiled. "I know you didn't really mean it. You were just angry, and that's okay."

Stepping forward, she slid her arms around his waist and hugged him. Xenophilus closed his arms around his daughter, his eyes closing, tears rolling freely down his cheeks as he hugged Luna.

When they finally broke the embrace, she smiled brightly up at him.

"Do you have time to look at my new robes?" Luna said shyly. "I can model them for you. I need you to tell me which ones look best on me."

The clerk behind the counter let out the breath that she felt as if she'd been holding forever, and looked over at Ginny.

"I hope this means there won't be a murder in my shop today." She said nervously.

Ginny shrugged.

"Perhaps not." She smirked, leaning on the doorframe. "Day's not over yet, though."

oOo

_August 30, 2003, Horseshoe Bay, Bermuda~_

"_I don't understand why you have to leave." The petite blond woman said from the bathroom doorway as he packed his bag. She was wearing one of his shirts, his favorite from the 'Wish You Were Here' concert in __Knebworth__ Park back in '75; the t-shirt seemed huge on her slight frame, the hem coming nearly to her knees. Clutching another shirt of his to her chest, she was trying very hard not to cry, and teetering on the edge of failing. _

"_Luna, I told you." He sighed in exasperation, closing the bag and shrinking it to fit in his pocket. "The Ministry owled me, said that Shacklebolt himself needed to talk to me right away, as soon as I could get there. It…it's not like I want to go. It's work…I can't really talk about it, but it could lead to a big promotion for me."_

"_I don't like it." Luna said softly. "I thought we could at least spend another week together. This really has a bad feel to it."_

"_I don't like it either." He said, rubbing his eyes as he sat down on the bed. "I…I really wish I didn't have to go so abruptly. It's been so…nice here with you. I wish it could last forever. I really do."_

_Her eyes were dark and full of concern as she walked over to him to slide her arms around him, pulling him to her in a comforting hug. Leaning over, she kissed him gently on the top of his head, smiling slightly as she felt his arms slide around her slender waist._

"_Go on." She finally sighed, ruffling his hair affectionately. "Owl me as soon as you can. We can meet in London, or somewhere, anywhere, before I go back home. I need to put in my application for graduate school. I'm thinking of going to Gresham College of Wizardry, or perhaps the Graduate School at Beauxbartons if I can afford it."_

"_I'll miss you terribly." He said softly, looking up at her sadly._

"_Go on." She said softly. "Don't make it any harder than it is. I'll be waiting for your owl. Anytime you can sneak away, I'll meet you. Even if it's only for a little bit."_

_He stood up, leaned down to her and kissed her, Luna rising up on her toes to meet him, her arms clutching him tightly. Breaking off the kiss, she buried her face in his broad chest, her slight body shaking slightly. _

_With an effort, she let go of him, stepping back. Mustering up her best, most cheerful smile, she looked up at him with blue eyes shiny with tears._

"_Be safe, John. Come back to me soon."_

"_I will, Luna."_

oOo

April 25, 2004~

Awakening with a gasp, he sat up in bed, wincing at the pain.

"You all right?" Auror O'Neil asked, looking up from his book. "The reading lamp bothering you, John?"

"No, it's fine, William." He sighed. "Just a dream."

"Good one, I hope."

"It…it was just very real." John replied, thinking about the dream. "Re-living something. Good, I suppose. Telling someone goodbye. Making promises."

"Well, I suppose that could be good. You want me to ring the night nurse, have her bring you something to help you get back to sleep? It's only three in the morning."

"It's Saturday, isn't it?" John asked.

"Indeed it is." O'Neil nodded genially. "You want to be well rested today, can't have you feeling grumpy when your girl comes to see you."

John frowned, saying nothing.

"Come now, John. You have to admit it, she's mad about you. You've growled at her plenty, but you haven't managed to discourage her. May as well give in, old chap."

"Maybe she's foolish."

"Maybe she is." O'Neil agreed, smiling. "But where would we fellows be if there wasn't some woman foolish enough to put up with us?"

oOo

At 2 o'clock, the door opened, but it wasn't Luna who walked in.

"Severus." John said, "I…I wasn't expecting you today. Has something new developed in the Dolohov case?"

Severus nodded to the Auror-Mimbs was on duty this shift- and walked to the chair beside John's bedside to sit down, his expression grave.

"Luna won't be visiting for a while, John." Severus said gently.

John swallowed nervously, his hazel eyes boring intently into Severus' dark ones.

"What happened?" He asked, struggling to sit up in the bed, "Is she…did she…"

"She's fine, John, and so is the baby." Severus said, putting his hand on John's. "It's just that her Healer decided it would be best for her to stay off her feet until her delivery date. She's not far from here, just over at my living quarters at Hogwarts. Ana's arranged for her professors to come by to tutor her, brought her books and study materials so she won't lose any ground in her classes."

"Oh." John replied numbly, sagging back onto the bed with a wince.

"You're disappointed." Severus smirked.

"Not really."

"You're lying. I can tell."

John scowled at his old friend.

"That doesn't work on me, remember." Severus said. "I've known you nearly thirty years, and you never have managed to bluff me. Now, stop it."

"Irritating git." John growled.

"Perhaps. I've heard that before." Snape smiled. "I need to talk to you."

"About what?"

"About Miss Lovegood, and what your plans are with her."

Auror Mimbs stood up, stretching.

"I do believe I need to go stretch my legs a bit, sir, if you don't mind." Mimbs said, eyeing them nervously."

"If you must, Auror Mimbs." Severus nodded. Once the door closed behind the Auror, he turned back to John.

"No." John said, shaking his head.

"It's really a moot point, John." Severus said, leaning back in his chair and steepling his fingers. "She is pregnant with your child. Her father has, for all intents and purposes, disowned her. My wife has provided her with an apartment near Beauxbartons, and arranged for her to go to school there on a scholarship. She's making excellent marks, by the way. But then, she always was a bright student."

"So why would she need me, dragging her down like an anchor? I'm a cripple, Severus."

"You are the father of her child, John." Severus sighed. "She's intelligent, beautiful, and absolutely mad about you. I know that all this ugly behavior on your part toward her is merely an act. You've never been like this to any woman. Why drive her away?"

"I can't…" John's face twisted in agony. "I can't help her. I doubt that the ministry would give me my job as an Auror back, and who would hire me? What could I do in my condition? I-"

"Self-pity does not become you, John." Severus said sharply. "There is still much you can do. You could teach-"

"I can't teach, Severus. I don't have the certifications to teach, no degree for it."

"You have experience. Twenty years in the field as an Auror, most of it spent fighting two wizarding wars, not even hardly getting so much as a scratch. I could help you. You could easily comp out of most of the classes needed for an advanced degree."

John eyed him suspiciously.

"Where are you going with this, Severus? I know you; you're backing me into a corner here."

"Teaching is what you should do, John." Severus said bluntly. "You would be ideal to teach DADA, is what I think, and I've already discussed it with Headmistress McGonagall."

"Getting a bit ahead of ourselves, aren't we?"

"Perhaps. But I have plans to retire from teaching, to pursue certain business interests."

"Your apothecary supply house." John smiled. "About damned time. You've been talking about it for years."

"Correct." Severus sighed, crossing his legs. "It is taking an enormous amount of time for me to get things ready to start the business. I need to devote my full time to it for it to succeed."

John nodded soberly.

"Promise me something." Severus said, looking sharply at him. "Promise me that you'll at least consider teaching."

"I have to be able to walk first, Severus." John replied.

"One thing at a time, then." His old friend smiled. "Professor Worthington…has a good sound to it, doesn't it?"

oOo

_He was standing in a forest, one that looked much like the Forbidden Forest near Hogwarts. Dark and dreary, not long until sunset from the looks of it, the sky in the west gradually turning red._

_A sound behind him made him turn._

_It was a child, a little girl, perhaps 7 years old. Auburn hair, striking blue eyes in a pale face that seemed somehow familiar._

"_I found you!" She exclaimed, jumping up and down, her eyes sparkling with excitement._

"_Who are you?" He asked numbly._

"_Catch me and I'll tell!" The girl laughed, spinning to run away. She darted down a narrow path, not much bigger than a rabbit trail, gracefully sprinting through the thick brush. It was all he could do to keep her in sight._

_He was running now, scrambling through thick brush, ducking under tree limbs, jumping over fallen debris. Farther and farther he fell behind; until he could not see anything of the girl, only hear her laughter. Thorny vines ensnared his arms and legs, until he could barely move, barely breathe, the vines wrapping around him tighter and tighter-_

_Then the girl screamed, a piercing cry of utter terror._

oOo

Someone was holding him down, restraining his hands.

"Easy, John." A middle-aged woman was saying, as a man held his arms. "Easy, now. Bad dream?"

John looked up at the Healer, then over at Auror O'Neil, who was restraining his arms, and nodded mutely. He was breathing heavily, trembling as he fought to catch his breath.

"I think you can let go of him now." Healer Denise Miller said gently to the Auror. "He's back with us now."

Turning to John, she righted her Healer's cap, which had been jarred loose somehow. Once she had restored order, she looked at John and smiled kindly.

"I'm replacing Healer Kane while she takes maternity leave, Mr. Worthington." She said. "I'm sorry we seem to have gotten off to such a rocky start. Please, understand that I don't blame you."

"I…I'm sorry." John said in a shaky voice.

"Oh, don't fret about it." Healer Miller dismissed his apology with a wave of her hand. "I've cared for people who were injured by Fiendfyre before. There's no need to apologize for having a bad dream, young man."


	8. Chapter 31 to 35

Chapter 31

April 27, 2004~

Luna was frowning at a sheet of paper, scribbling figures on a scrap of parchment as she sat at the kitchen table in her apartment. For the third time, she carefully checked over her Gringott's bank account statement, tallying the figures carefully, comparing it to her chequebook. It totaled up the same as it had the previous two times.

_Someone has been putting 500 Galleons a month into my account_, she thought, chewing on the nib of her quill, not noticing that she had a blue spot on her lips from the habit. _That's why my balance was so far off from my chequebook. I have 1,500 Galleons more than I should, by my figures._

For a moment, she sat at the table, tapping her fingers idly, just thinking. With a sigh, she got up, and carefully made her way to the sitting room, where she took a handful of floo powder and tossed it into the fireplace.

"Gringott's, accounts department." She said.

After a few minutes, a goblin's face appeared in the greenish flames.

"Elin Martfurn, Accounts, may I help you?"

"Mr. Martfurn, Luna Lovegood, account 395xxxx." She said, kneeling closer to the fireplace so he could see her clearly.

"Code phrase?"

"Plum zucchini Nargles."

There was a brief delay, and then he came back to her.

"Yes, Miss Lovegood, how may I help you?"

"There's been some odd activity in my account. The amount is 500 Galleons being deposited every month, the first occurrence being on February 15, 2004, then again on March 15, and then again on April 15. There's been a total of 1,500 Galleons deposited-"

"Miss Lovegood," Martfurn said in a bored, polite voice, "There are several parties who are depositing money in your account every month. The Anastasiya Romanov foundation at Beauxbartons, Mr. &amp; Mrs. Harry Potter, Mr. &amp; Mrs. Severus Snape, and Mr. Xenophilius Lovegood…and…"

There was a long pause as the goblin studied a parchment, holding it closer to his face, squinting at it through his reading glasses.

"Mr. Martfurn." Luna said sharply. "The only depositor I'm wondering about is the one that is depositing 500 Galleons a month. Who is that?"

"Just a moment." Martfurn said, beckoning with a gnarled hand to someone out of view. Another, older goblin came over, peered at the parchment, and shook his head. Then both of the goblins stepped away from the floo, leaving blank green flames.

Luna fidgeted nervously, waiting for Martfurn to come back.

After several minutes, his face appeared, and he looked rather uncomfortable, as if he had endured a tongue-lashing.

"I'm sorry, Miss Lovegood," Martfurn said nervously, "we are not allowed to give out that depositor's information."

"Mr. Martfurn, I insist." Luna said, rubbing the small of her back with one hand as she glared into the flames at the goblin. "It's my account. It is my business. Why, 500 Galleons a month is a good bit of money, more than most people make in a month!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Lovegood, truly I am." The goblin said, as polite as Luna had ever heard a goblin talk to a human, his eyes sad and his face downcast. "I would, but there's a Ministry ward on it. Even the bank President can't access it without approval from the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

For a moment, Luna sat there on floor, stunned.

"The Department of Magical Law Enforcement?" She repeated, frowning. "Then…"

Taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it, fighting to calm herself down, she thought for a moment.

"Mr. Martfurn, you've been very helpful, sir." She said politely, and smiled. "I apologize for being so difficult today. Have a good day."

The goblin looked at her, confused.

"Um…You have a good day, too, Miss Lovegood-"

Abruptly, Luna ended the call.

Using the coffee table to help herself up, she stood, bracing her aching back with both hands for a moment.

"_Accio_ chair, _accio _floo powder." She said calmly, catching the bowl of floo powder and moving the chair to the fireplace. She had several people to talk to, and she wanted to work quickly.

"Snape residence." She said, tossing another handful of floo powder into the flames.

After a few moments, Ana's face appeared in the green flames.

"Hello?"

"It's Luna, Professor Romanov."

"Oh, hello!" Ana smiled. "How are you?"

"I'm a bit angry right now." Luna said, getting right to the point. "Is Severus there with you?"

Ana gave her a puzzled look, and then looked over behind her, and after a moment, Severus appeared, holding Marcus, who was asleep.

"What's going on, Miss Lovegood?" Snape asked, his voice soft. Madam Pince walked up and he passed his son to his mother, adjusting his sleeves and leaning closer.

"Someone has been depositing 500 Galleons a month into my account for the past three months, without my authorization." Luna said, glaring at Severus. "Someone who is connected to the Ministry. Is this some scheme that you cooked up with John, to buy me off? I haven't asked him for anything, you know. I'm not some kind of…of goldigger or something."

Severus and Ana looked at each other, then back at her. Severus looked puzzled, and Ana seemed surprised.

"Miss Lovegood, I don't know anything of this." He said, spreading out his hands in supplication. "John has not mentioned it to me. I did talk to him about what his plans might be concerning you and your child, but he wasn't very cooperative with me. Refused to discuss it at all."

Luna rubbed her eyes, feeling rather weary all of a sudden.

"Can one of you go with me to the hospital? I need to talk to John, and I know you have a portkey to get there, Professor Snape."

oOo

"This is embarrassing." She fumed, blushing. "I can walk perfectly well-"

"Yes, yes, I'm quite sure of that." Snape said, pushing Luna along in the wheelchair. "But the Welcome Witch insisted. Something about hospital policy."

She crossed her arms, sulking as they proceeded down the corridor to the high security area. As they reached the outer door, the auror at the desk-Timmons-looked up, and broke into a grin.

"Miss Luna! What a pleasant surprise." He said, getting up to let them in. "Professor Snape, good evening to you, too. How's the family?"

"Good, Auror Timmons. Busy, as usual. I'm glad that we only have two children, we'd never get any sleep if we had another."

"Could we move this along, please?" Luna snapped.

"Oh…right." Timmons said, embarrassed. He unlocked the door, holding it open for Severus to push Luna through in her wheelchair. Snape gave him a shrug and a sympathetic look as they rolled by.

"You don't have to be so testy." Severus said quietly as the door shut and locked behind them.

"I'm sorry." Luna sighed. "I'm just…just a bit on edge. My due date is in three weeks, and I'm under a bit of stress."

"No need to apologize to me." He replied, bringing the chair to a smooth halt in front of a room. "But you might want to say something to Timmons on the way out."

"Wait." She said, as he reached for the doorknob.

"What is it? I thought you were in a rush."

"I just…I just need to…compose myself."

"Take your time." Severus said, just a hint of a sneer in his voice.

"As you told me, you didn't suggest this to him, right?"

"Correct. The only thing that we discussed was what he planned to do about his relationship with you, and he rebuffed me quite fiercely, didn't even want to discuss it. Nothing was said about any financial responsibility. I believe he did this on his own, somehow."

Luna sighed.

"Professor Snape, please believe me." She pleaded. "I'm not expecting him to do anything for me right now, and especially not while he's in the hospital. I'm just…"

"May I offer you some advice?" Severus said gently, kneeling so that he was more at eye level with her. "John has been my friend for years, probably the closest friend I have. Accept the money, don't mention it to him. There is much on his mind, and I guarantee that foremost is getting well and out of this hospital so he can help you more with the baby. He's struggling with what he wants, and what he feels is expected of him. You, my dear, have completely upset his life, but in a good way, I assure you."

"Upset his life? What do you mean?" Luna said, confused now.

"He had everything going for him, professionally." Severus sighed. "But he wasn't happy. Then he meets a young woman while on vacation, falls-dare I say it? In love. Suddenly, everything shifts; a new perspective opens up to him, showing him the possibility of having something he gave up on long ago. Love, a family, a normal life where he doesn't have to constantly be on guard. It's been somewhat difficult for him lately."

"I didn't mean to upset his life." Luna said quietly, looking at her hands in her lap. "I…we…just made a mistake-"

"Some things happen because they are supposed to, Miss Lovegood." He said, giving her a gentle touch on the shoulder. "That's how I found Ana."

He stood up.

"Are you ready?" Severus asked gently, one hand on the doorknob.

Luna nodded, taking in a deep breath to calm herself.

Severus opened the door, propping it open with a doorstop, and then nodded to the healer sitting by the bedside and Auror Mimbs in his chair.

"Is John awake?" He asked.

"Of course I am." John said, setting a book aside. "Hello, Severus. This is a surprise. What's up?"

"You have a visitor." Snape said, and then looked at the healer and Auror Mimbs. "I think this should be a private visit, if you two get my drift."

"Oh, my." Mimbs said, glancing over at John, then at Healer Miller. "Come on Denise; let's go get a cup of tea. I think he'll be alright for a little while."

As they walked out of the room, Healer Miller gave Luna a curious glance, and Auror Mimbs patted her gently on the shoulder.

"Good luck." He whispered as he left.

Severus pushed her into the room in her wheelchair. When John saw her, he went rather pale, and then blushed, his mouth opening to protest, but nothing coming out.

"Severus-"He finally managed to choke out, just as Snape picked up a chair and headed toward the door.

"John, I believe you and Miss Lovegood have some talking to do. I'll be right outside to take her home when you two finish."

John watched helplessly from the bed, where he was sitting up, then sank back on the pillows when he realized that it would be just him and Luna.

She was sitting right next to the bed in the wheelchair, calmly regarding him with her blue eyes, her hand resting lightly on her swollen belly. Uneasily, he finally managed after several attempts to meet her eyes.

"Hello, John." She smiled gently. "I've missed you."

He looked down at his lap, at his ruined leg under the sheets and blanket, his mouth working. Finally, he looked over at her shyly.

"I…I've missed you, too." He said softly, almost in a whisper, still hardly able to look directly in her eyes. "I…hellfire, I'm no good at this!"

"It's alright." She replied. "You're not being hateful or ugly to me, right? That's a good start."

He blushed deeply, remembering his behavior earlier that year when she'd first begun to visit him.

"That…I'm…I'm sorry about that. I-"

"Don't worry about it." She said gently. "It wasn't really you talking."

They sat for a long moment together, the silence heavy in the room.

"I noticed you putting money in my account." She said softly. "Thank you. It's really too much."

"I'm not using it for anything, and you might need it until…" His voice trailed off, and he looked away, toward the window.

"Until…what?" She asked, puzzled.

"Until I get out of the hospital." John said, fidgeting with his hands. "Until I can get back to working, while you're going to school…until…we figure out what to do. With us…and the baby."

"Elizabeth." Luna said quietly. "Her name is Elizabeth Rosemarie. It came to me in a dream."

"Elizabeth Rosemarie…" he said, almost reverently. "That…that's a nice name."

A few more minutes passed.

"Could you do something for me, John?" Luna asked, reaching down to lock the wheels of the wheelchair.

He looked at her, and then nodded.

With an effort, she pushed on the handrails of the chair, and stood up. Walking over to the bed, she carefully turned her back to him, and then sat down gingerly with a sigh, dropping her head.

"Rub my back, please." She said, closing her eyes. "Down low, in the small of my back. It hurts there."

Hesitantly, he reached over with his right hand, placing it on her lower back. She sighed contentedly, and he began to carefully knead the cramping muscles.

Slowly, as the knots in her back loosened, so did something else.

"I've missed you, John." She sobbed, feeling his hand suddenly stop, just lightly resting on her back just above her hips. Turning toward him, she pulled her legs up, lying down next to him, her head coming to rest on his right shoulder, carefully avoiding his legs with hers.

He sighed, his right arm curling around her, hugging her to his side gently, her belly-_our baby_, she thought-resting against him. She relaxed for a moment, and then stiffened as she had another thought.

"This probably isn't wise." She said, wiping tears away with her hand. "The Healer or Auror Mimbs could come in at any moment, or Severus might."

"No, they won't." John said softly, hugging her gently with the one arm, closing his eyes. "Severus has the door warded."

"What?" Luna said, raising her head up to look at him, her eyes wide in surprise. "Won't something like that set off the Ministry wards?"

"Not a chance. They've relaxed the security a bit, so the really nasty one isn't up any longer."

She lay her head back down, giving a contented sigh.

"Are you better?" He asked gently, stroking her back with his fingers.

She nodded.

"I may need a crane to get me back up, though. I feel about as graceful as a baby hippogriff lately, and probably weigh about the same."

"Nonsense." He laughed. "I can probably still pick you up with one arm."

She lifted her head to look at him, her eyes sparkling.

"That's something I've waited a long time to hear." She smiled, moving a bit closer.

"What's that?"

"Your laugh. I haven't heard you laugh since…since we were in Bermuda."

"Not much to laugh about since then." He said quietly.

"John."

"Luna?"

"There's something else I've been waiting on." She said softly, looking at him expectantly.

He looked at her, her face only inches away from his, and smiled slightly. Leaning forward, he pressed his lips to hers, kissing her gently. Luna moaned softly into his mouth, her tongue darting along his lips, a shudder passing through her body as she clung tightly to him.

Then, abruptly, she pulled away slightly, swiping her hand down her chest.

"Shit." She said testily, pulling out a hanky from the pocket of her robes.

"What's wrong?" John asked, puzzled.

"I'm leaking, that's what's wrong!" She sighed, unbuttoning her blouse to tuck the hanky inside her bra. "Sorry. That was a bit harsh. I feel like a damn milk cow."

By now, John was biting on his lip to keep from laughing. Calming himself, he reached over to the bedside table to grab a box of tissues.

"Will this help?" He asked, setting them on his chest where she could reach them easily.

"Yes, thank you." She said shyly, tucking tissues into the other side of her bra. "Merlin's beard, there's so much…maybe its twins."

He blinked in surprise.

"Kidding!" She giggled, poking him in the chest with her finger. "Just kidding. You should have seen the look on your face. It was priceless."

"Now, that's just mean." He said.

"You were laughing at me because I was leaking. I saw." Luna said, poking him again. "Now, that's mean. I can't help it."

Taking his left hand in hers, she brought it down to her belly, placing his hand over their unborn daughter.

"Feel that?" Luna asked. "Keep your hand there, and say something. Go ahead, do it."

"What should I say?"

"Anything." She smiled. "She just moved a little bit just then. Did you feel it?"

"I think so. So she's awake now?"

Luna nodded.

"She doesn't have much room to move around anymore, so she's quieter than she has been. She was pretty active up until a couple weeks ago, and then she just slowed down a bit."

Gently, John stroked Luna's swollen abdomen, fascinated by the movement within.

"I suppose I should be going soon." She said, a note of sadness in her voice. "I don't want to leave you, but I hate to keep Professor Snape from his family."

"Take your time." Snape's voice drifted to them from the hallway. "The children are in bed, and Ana is undoubtedly catching up on her reading."

"Voyeur." John said, loud enough to make sure that Severus heard it, smiling when he heard his old friend chuckle. Luna was hiding her face in his chest, only the tips of her ears showing, which were bright pink with embarrassment.

"Hey." He said, tugging at the sheet that she was hiding under. She shook her head, pressing her face harder into his chest.

"Hey, don't worry about it." John said, gently pulling the sheet away from her face so he could see her face again. "Our secrets are safe with him."

"He was my Professor! I'm so embarrassed." Luna whispered. "Do you think he heard me talking about leaking earlier?"

"Luna, he and Ana have two children. Do you think he doesn't know about this kind of stuff?"

"I suppose he would," She sighed, fiddling with the sheet, "But that doesn't make me feel any less embarrassed about it."

He sighed, hugging her to him.

oOo

"Mr. Lovegood. What a…surprise."

Xenophilius stood at the door of Severus and Ana's private quarters at Hogwarts, uneasily eyeing Snape, who was regarding him with the sort of expression one would reserve if you found something disgusting on your doorstep.

"I…I'm here to visit Luna, Severus." He said nervously, attempting to peer around the former Potions professor. "May I come in?"

"Honestly, Severus!" Ana snapped, coming into the sitting room. "Let Mr. Lovegood in, please. There's no need to be rude."

Turning to Xenophilius, she took Severus' arm in her hand, pinching the inside of his forearm just hard enough that he'd have a good bruise. He sucked in a breath with a hiss, grudgingly backing out of the doorway and allowing their visitor to come in.

"No need for that." He said, shooting Ana a hurt look. He pulled his arm away from her, rubbing his injury. "Do come in, Xenophilius. I'll inform Luna that you're here."

Turning on his heel, he left the room, disappearing down the short hallway that led to the bedrooms. Ana closed the door, and then gestured to the couch before the fireplace.

"Have a seat, Mr. Lovegood." She said, walking over to the sideboard. "Would you care for a brandy, perhaps?"

"Um, I…no, thank you, Professor Romanov-Snape." He said, sitting carefully on the edge of the couch, wiping sweaty palms on his robes. "I…I would like to apologize to you for the way I behaved the other day at the shop. I don't think I was able to do that properly at the time."

Ana waved dismissively.

"Please, don't even worry about that. Water under the bridge."

He opened his mouth, and stopped as Luna walked briskly into the room, rushing to him as he stood up to greet her.

"Daddy!" She exclaimed, hugging him as tightly as she could. "What a surprise! I'm so happy to see you."

Severus made a rude sound, covering it partly with a cough. Ana shot him a glare of warning, her eyebrow rising as her gray eyes narrowed.

"Come with me, dear." She said softly, walking toward the kitchen. "I do believe I might need your help getting the tea down, and I'm sure everyone would like a cup."

With a sigh of resignation, Severus followed her into the kitchen.

Xenophilius let go of Luna, nervously watching Snape walk away.

"Daddy, don't worry about Professor Snape." She said gently. "He…he's just very protective of me."

"I can see that." He said, as they sat back down on the couch. "Um, I was wondering…your young man…how is he doing?"

"Oh." She said, brightening up even more. "He may be getting out of hospital soon, we hope. The healer wasn't letting me go see him, because she didn't want me walking too much, too much stress, but Severus took me to see him the other day. We had a very good visit. He…"

Her eyes fell, and her chin began to tremble.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Xenophilius said, putting his arm around her.

"Daddy…I don't know if I should tell you any of this. But I need to. Daddy, he…he was captured by a group of former Death Eaters. They tortured him, for six weeks, until Severus happened to hear him screaming…"

"Luna, if you don't think I should know-"

"Let me finish, Daddy." She said, taking out a hanky to wipe her eyes. "I…I'm just under so much stress lately, with the baby, and with John being in-"

She covered her mouth, horrified of her slip.

"Yes, you're under a great deal of stress, with the baby, and with your man being in the hospital." He smiled, giving her a hug. "I didn't hear his name, dear, if that's what you're so worried about."

Her father leaned closer to her, beckoning to her. Luna gave him a curious look, and then leaned closer.

"I do believe we are being watched." Xenophilius said softly. "Behind the couch. It might be a nargle."

Luna glanced behind her, spotting Nina's unruly mop of black hair, just the top of her head and her gray eyes visible.

"It might be, daddy." She said, stifling a giggle. "Nargles are constantly roaming around here at Hogwarts. They're everywhere."

Nina popped up, pulling herself up on the back of the couch, her eyes flashing.

"I am NOT a nargle!" She shouted, raising her hands like claws. "I'm a Ukrainian Ironbelly! Rawr!"

Luna and her father burst into laughter. Combined with several loud, menacing growls from Nina (the fearsome Ukrainian Ironbelly), the clamor drew both Ana and Severus, from the kitchen.

"Oh…" Luna gasped, tears streaming down her face as she held herself, still laughing. "I think I hurt myself. Oh, Merlin…"

"Nina!" Ana snapped, her eyes blazing, "How many times do I have to remind you to use your inside voice inside!"

Nina's face fell, and she burst into tears, deftly avoiding her mother's attempt to grab her as she ran to her father. Ana gave him a wilting glare as he scooped her up, and then shrugged his shoulders, raising his eyebrow at her.

"I believe that this is the best thing to do, given that Marcus is taking his nap." He said, shushing their daughter gently. "If I'm not needed, I'm going to take her into the potions lab, let her calm down there."

Ana sighed, and then nodded her head in agreement.

"Do as you must, dear." She said, turning to Xenophilius. "I'm dreadfully sorry about that. Nina can be rather rambunctious at times."

"It's perfectly alright, Professor." He said, glancing at Luna. "I know a thing or two about rambunctious children."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 32

May10, 2004~

"Luna, dear, how are you feeling?"

She opened her eyes, smiling when she saw Ana coming toward her bed, with Ginny close behind.

"Good, Professor." She yawned. "Just…exhausted. They brought her to me a few hours ago to nurse her…have you see her yet?"

"Yes, we went by the nursery." Ginny said, excitement shining in her eyes. "She's so precious. She already has dimples!"

"I know." Luna sighed, and then looked over at Severus, who was hanging back by the doorway. "Professor Snape, have you talked to John?"

"I did, Miss Lovegood." He said politely, walking closer to the bed. "I flooed the hospital, and Auror O'Neill passed on the news."

"I wish he could have been here." Luna said, a touch of sadness in her voice.

"I'm sure he does, too, Miss Lovegood. At the same time, I do have some good news for you, something that even my lovely wife doesn't know of. The Healers said that he would start physical therapy next week."

"That's wonderful!" Luna said, sitting up in the bed, and then wincing.

"Careful, dear." Ana said, helping her lay back down on the bed. "It's a little early to be jumping around just yet."

oOo

June 6, 2004~

He was sitting in a wheelchair next to his bed when they came in; as the door opened he looked over, putting his book down on the bedside table.

"Oh, would you look at that…" Healer Miller said softly, a smile spreading across her face.

Severus and Ana stepped aside, allowing Luna to walk in, carrying Elizabeth, who was swaddled in a blanket.

"Here she is, John." Luna smiled. "Wake up, sweetheart. It's time to meet Daddy."

She walked up to him, gently placing their daughter in his outstretched arms, as he struggled to even speak. Severus picked up a chair, putting it next to John's wheelchair for Luna to sit on. Clearing his throat, Snape glanced at Healer Miller and Auror Timmons.

"I think it would be best if we give them some…privacy." He said, ushering Ana to the door.

Healer Miller nodded, and the four of them left the room, an event unnoticed by the new parents as they marveled over their child.

"I…I'm sorry I couldn't be there for you." He said softly, after Elizabeth had yawned one last time and nodded off to sleep. Luna smiled, shaking her head.

"I managed fine." She said, taking hold of his free hand. "I heard you've started physical therapy, so you're getting closer to being with us. How is it going?"

"Painfully." John smiled. "I think that I'm paying for all of my past and future sins every time I go for therapy. But it's the only way I'll be able to walk again."

oOo

September 6, 2004~

It was late afternoon, the shadows long on the street outside as the two men walked down the hallway, the larger one leaning heavily on a cane as he went.

"229, 230, 230b…ah, here it is, 230b ½. Right in here, John." Auror Timmons said, opening a door just a ways down from the elevator on the second floor of the Ministry of Magic building. John followed the shorter Auror into the small room.

"This is a broom closet, isn't it?" He said, glancing around the room, running his finger along the desk and frowning at the dust.

"It was Hayworth's office, until he retired in November of last year." Timmons sighed. "He was the older guy from Edinburg-"

"-who didn't like having a window in his office. I remember. So I get his old broom closet, is that it?"

"I…John, you know how it is. As it stands, you…well-"

"Yaxley made it clear. I'm not an Auror now." John said, a note of bitterness in his voice. "I resign my position to work an undercover assignment, it goes bad, and they toss me under the bus."

"It's not like that, John."

"You know damn well it is." He sighed, leaning a bit more on his cane to take the pressure off his leg. After spending the past four months in intensive, painful therapy, the Healers had finally discharged him from hospital.

_I can finally walk again_, John thought bitterly. _If I always use my cane. If I don't mind having to stop every fifty feet to rest. And if I don't mind gritting my teeth a lot, or having to take pain-reliever potions every three hours or so, and only rarely being able to sleep an entire night without awakening with my leg cramping up so painfully that I wake up screaming._

_And then again, there's the nightmares_, he mused, inwardly shuddering. _Thank Merlin and all the gods for Luna._

"It's the best we could do right now, John." Timmons sighed. You know how it is, your office was given to the newer guy waiting for one, and-"

"They didn't expect me to come back, is that it?"

"No, of course not." The Auror said, looking genuinely hurt. "I…oh, sod it all. Let's go get some fish and chips, eh?"

"It's tempting, but I'm going to pass. Luna's expecting me for dinner." John said, "Maybe another time?"

Timmons nodded.

"She's good for you, John." He smiled. "I'm glad you decided to take up with her again."

"That's for sure, Mark." John nodded. "I don't know how I could have made it without her."

oOo

October 10, 2004~

"So," Neville said, hefting his burden of boxes and bags, "if you mince the valerian root with a silver knife, it makes no difference?"

"Of course not, Neville." Ana replied, checking her list as they walked through Hogsmeade. "That's just an old wives' tale some incompetent moron cooked up because they made a mistake once, ruining the potion. I've never seen it happen, and most of the other potions masters and mistresses I've spoken with haven't either."

"What else is there that we need?" He asked.

"Thief! Thief!" Someone shouted ahead of them, obscured in the bustling Saturday morning crowd of shoppers. "Someone catch that woman!"

"Oh, my." Neville said, peering down the street at the commotion, "Wonder what's up with that?"

Ana frowned, her eyes narrowing under the fur hat she wore.

_I know that girl_, she thought with a frown, racking her brain for the name to go with the face of the young woman running from the shopkeeper, a loaf of bread tucked under her arm as she dodged the hands grasping at her.

"Ivan." She said quietly, "Поймать эту женщину."

With a sweep of his wings, her eagle owl took off from her shoulder, swiftly gaining altitude and swooping down the busy street. As the woman turned into an alley, she reached out, tugging on a stack of boxes, spilling them across the path of her pursuers. Ivan veered down the alley, undeterred by such, his powerful wings allowing him to rapidly close on the dark-haired human that his mistress had set him on.

Taking out her wand and palming it discreetly, Ana rapidly walked toward the mouth of the alley toward the crowd that was presently occupied with moving the boxes.

"Come on, Neville." She commanded, her eyes grim.

Her assistant hurried along behind her, juggling his burden.

"Confundo. Confundo. Confundo." She repeated rapidly, pointing her wand at her targets, her brow furrowed in concentration.

"Professor, she looks like a vagrant. I don't think-"

"Hush, Longbottom." She snapped, "I know what I'm doing. Confundo. Confundo…"

By the time they reached the alley, the dozen or so people were standing around, looking stupidly at the boxes in their hands in confusion.

"What the 'ell am I holding this for?" A florid man in a shopkeeper's apron frowned, as Ana and Neville came up.

"I think those boxes fell over," Ana said helpfully, palming her wand to conceal it, "and you were helping put them back in a neat stack. Such a gentleman, you don't see that anymore."

"Right you are, ma'am!" He said proudly, flexing his muscles as he stacked the box on another.

She patted him on the shoulder approvingly as she walked by. He reached for another box, nodding to Neville as they passed.

"Professor, I don't know about this…"

"No harm done, Neville. Besides, someone could have been hurt pursuing her."

They turned another corner to find the woman sprawled on the ground, her precious loaf of bread across the narrow alley near the wall. She was lying very still, warily watching the eagle owl as it preened itself.

She was thin as could be, a pretty face showing high cheekbones smeared with mud and soot, the bit of hair that spilled from her head scarf dirty and tangled. It might have been black, it might have been red, but it was so filthy it was difficult to tell. Dressed in dirty clothes that ranged from merely dirty to threadbare rags that hung loosely on her, with a set of men's trainers that looked far too big, she was quite the fashion statement.

As Ana and Neville came closer, she whipped her head around, her gray eyes widening in terror. Leaping to her feet, she made a desperate bid for freedom, dodging Ana's hand at the Potions Mistress grabbed at her cloak, catching the hem. Deftly, the woman spun away, shedding the cloak and gaining speed, then as she threw a smirk over her shoulder at her would-be captor, and then ran with a _THUD_ smack into Neville. His burden of boxes, packages, and bags went everywhere in the alley, accompanied by the sound of something glass breaking in a bag. With a sickening sound, her head hit the cobblestones as she fell, and she lay still.

Dropping the cloak, Ana walked over to check on the woman, checking her pulse and inspecting her eyes for pupil reaction with her wand lighted with a quickly spoken '_lumos'_. Neville righted himself, coming over to where the woman lay, peering at her over Professor Romanov-Snape's shoulder.

"Merlin's beard." Neville said, his eyes widening in shock. "That's Pansy Parkinson."

oOo

"Again, WHY did you bring her here?" Severus sighed, watching Poppy run her wand over the unconscious Pansy as she lay in a Hospital Wing bed. Ana removed a flannel from a basin of water, wringing the excess water from it, and resumed cleaning the dirt from the younger woman's face.

"I told you, Severus." Ana sighed irritably, shooting him a glare, "We couldn't just leave her there. The poor thing's starved half to death, she took a nasty knock on the head, and I'm pretty sure she's got a fever. I wasn't about to just leave her there in the alley."

Severus rubbed his eyes, frowning.

_My wife and her 'causes' will be the death of me_, he thought in resignation.

"Well, everything seems alright neurologically," Poppy said, tucking away her wand. "I'll get some Pepper-Up for the fever, and in case she has a cold or the flu. We don't need her getting any worse. The poor dear, you can count every rib on her. She hasn't eaten well in a long time, probably several months."

"Another casualty of the War," Severus said softly, leaning against the wall. "Or rather, a victim of the fallout following it."

"What happened to her family, Severus?" Poppy asked, glancing at Ana. "I never heard."

"Her father is dead, perhaps her mother also. If she's alive, then probably in Azkaban. I don't know if she had any siblings."

"How dreadful." Ana said softly, looking down at the painfully thin young woman on the bed.

oOo

October 16, 2004~

Luna walked into the sitting room of her apartment, drying her hands on a kitchen flannel, and smiled.

John was lying on the couch, fast asleep, with Elizabeth curled up on his chest, her mouth slack as she slept deeply with her ear pressed to his heart. Luna walked over and gently removed the bottle from his hand, noting that Elizabeth had indeed finished it. As she turned to go back to the kitchen, she felt his hand lightly grasp her leg.

"Caught you." He murmured sleepily. She smirked at him, using the nipple on the bottle to place a droplet of milk on his forehead, causing him to frown and wipe at it.

"I snuck up on you fair and square." She said, lowering herself to her knees beside the couch, relaxing into his hand sliding up to her lower back. "Elizabeth is out cold. Want me to take her, put her in her crib?"

"Yeah," He sighed. "It might not be that easy for me to get up with her without waking her. I hate to disturb her, she's sleeping so well."

"Well, that's because Daddy is so warm and cozy." Luna said, stopping to yawn, covering her mouth with her hand politely, "You're the best teddy in the world. I'll put her to bed, and then I'll put you to bed, sleepy head."

Setting the bottle on the coffee table, Luna carefully scooped Elizabeth up, pausing when she stirred irritably due to the change in her situation. Moving smoothly and cautiously, she took her daughter to the room that she and Ana had converted into a nursery, and gently laid her in her crib.

When she returned to the sitting room, John was sitting up on the couch, rubbing his left leg through his blue jeans.

"Are you hurting?" Luna asked, walking over to the couch to sit next to him, her hand coming to rest on his thigh.

"No."

"Liar." She smirked, pushing him back on the couch.

Gently, she kneaded the tight, cramping muscles in his upper thigh, turning toward him so she could use both hands. He sighed with relief, sitting back on the couch to give her freer access to his leg.

"Did you take your potions?" She asked.

"Yes, I just did." He sighed. "I know I should have taken them an hour ago, but she was just so comfortable…I would have had to _accio_ my bag in here from the bedroom, and that would have been rather difficult, so I just left it until just now."

With a pat on his leg, she got up from the couch, picking up his cane and holding it out to him, along with her hand.

"Come on, then." Luna said softly. "We have one more night to spend together this weekend."

With an effort, he pulled himself up; hobbling along behind her to the bedroom they shared on the weekends. Luna went to the bathroom, taking her nightgown with her; he went to 'his' side of the bed and began the laborious process of undressing himself.

Back in September, when they had begun 'dating' again after he was released from hospital, they'd argued the first time he spent the night.

_He was poking through the hallway closet, trying to find a blanket, when she came out of the nursery after putting Elizabeth in her crib for the night._

"_What are you looking for?" She asked._

"_Um…a blanket?" He said, closing the door to the closet. There wasn't one in there, anyway._

"_Why?" She asked, frowning._

"_Well, I figured it might be more…appropriate if I slept out here…on the couch."_

"_John, don't you dare start with this again."_

"_What?"_

_Her eyes narrowed and she set her jaw, crossing her arms across her chest._

"_I invited you to spend the night, because I wanted you to sleep with me, in my bed. You're Elizabeth's father, and I love you." She said softly, though there was an edge to her voice. "I don't expect anything more than a warm companion in my bed tonight to cuddle with. You're tired from work, and apparating, and after we finished that bottle of wine, I don't think it's safe for you to apparate home. Not after you take your bedtime dose of pain-relieving potion."_

_With a sigh, he gave in, following her to the bedroom._

"_It would probably be best if I take this side," he had said, pointing at the left side, closest to the bathroom._

"_Why?" She frowned, looking over at him from the bathroom doorway, where she stood with her toothbrush. She'd been brushing her teeth when began, and a thin film of white toothpaste clung to her lower lip._

"_Well, I can't sleep on my left side, just my right side or my back, and I figured if I took the left side-"_

"_No. I might need to get up to use the bathroom, and the left side is closer."_

"_Well, the right side is closer to the nursery."_

"_But the baby monitor is on the left nightstand." She frowned, her eyes boring into his. "That's not why you want to sleep over on the left side, is it?"_

_He sighed._

"_I…can't sleep on my left side because of my leg. I figured if you sleep on the right side, and I sleep on the left, I…wouldn't bother you at night."_

_She blinked for a moment, and then smiled craftily, a spark of deviltry in her blue eyes._

"_What if I want you to 'bother me?"_

_He blushed._

Luna tapped him on the shoulder as he sat on the edge of the bed, and he jumped a bit.

"Sorry." She said gently. "Knut for your thoughts? You look like you're thinking deeply. That's not good for your sleep, you know."

"Just thinking about the first night I spent here with you." He sighed.

"Mm-hm."

"This isn't going to upset your father, is it?"

"Heavens, no." She laughed. "Dad and Mum lived together for 5 years before they got married. My grandparents on both sides were furious, but it worked out. I promise, Daddy wouldn't get angry about this."

"I see." He said softly.

Luna sat quietly on the bed beside him, just watching him.

"What else is bothering you, John?" She finally asked.

"Leaving tomorrow morning." He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "It's the end of the weekend, and now I have to endure another boring week at work, stuck at that desk."

"You hate your job now, don't you?"

"I push parchment around all day long," He grumbled. "It's as if I'm not really even there. I know everything that's going on, but all I get to do is attend meetings and fill out paperwork. And then, at the end of the day…"

His voice trailed off, as he clamped his mouth shut, unwilling to go on.

Luna smiled, poking him gently in the side.

"Oh, no. No Mr. Grumpypants tonight." She said, her voice light and teasing. "Tell me what you're thinking."

John drew a big breath, blowing it out in an exhausted sigh.

"At the end of the day, I come home to an empty flat and eat takeout, or whatever I happen to have, and read…" He looked over at her, her blue eyes only a few inches from his. "The only good thing about it is talking to you via floo when we can."

She blinked, and then smiled.

"You know…" She said softly, "You don't have to go back to London. You could get a portkey; use that to commute to work. From here."

Chewing on his lip for a moment, he looked down at his lap, and then slowly looked back at her.

"Is that an offer?" He said shyly.

She nodded, breaking into a huge grin.

"I suppose I need to make a portkey, then." He said, pursing his lips.

"And sublet your flat." She smirked.

"Yes." He said quietly, fiddling with his hands. She reached over and took hold of them, her fingers tiny compared to his.

"What are you thinking, John?" She asked.

"I'm thinking I want to marry you." He said candidly.

"Are you asking me?"

He looked at her for a long moment, and then nodded.

"If you'd have me, that is." He said. "Luna Lovegood, would you do me the honor of being my wife? I don't have much, but I would give you everything I have, and take care of you till my last breath. Because…because I love you. I can't see myself with anyone else, ever."

By now, her eyes were large and luminous, tears abruptly streaming down her cheeks as she covered her mouth, unable to speak.

"I-"He began, and then hushed when she held her fingers up to his lips, silently asking him to stop.

After she composed herself, she looked over at him.

"The only thing I would ask, is that we wait until I graduate." She said, swiping at her tears with the back of her hand. "I have two years to go till I finish. I want to be able to devote my full attention to my classes."

"Alright."

She gently brought her hand up to touch his face in a gentle caress.

"Thank you." She said, smiling. "It will be so much easier with you here to help me. The house elves are nice, but I need you here."

Leaning over to him, she kissed him, and then drew back.

"It's past midnight, and you have to be at work by eight tomorrow." She sighed. "Let's go to bed, dear."

oOo

"Am I a prisoner here?" She said, her gray eyes flashing defiance despite her weakened condition.

"No, Pansy." Poppy said gently, dipping the spoon back into the broth. "Professor Romanov-Snape and Assistant Professor Longbottom-"

Pansy made a rude sound, knocking the spoon away from her with her hand. Poppy sighed, giving the young woman an indulgent smile.

"_Accio_ spoon." Poppy said, catching it deftly, then took her wand out.

"_Petrificus membra_." She said calmly, pointing her wand at her patient.

Pansy's eyes widened, first in shock, and then her face flushed red with anger as she struggled to move against invisible bonds.

"You…you've bound me!"

"Perhaps you would rather starve? Or would you like to cooperate?" The Medi-Witch said, dipping the spoon back into the broth. "As for myself, I'm getting weary of picking the spoon up. You need to eat, dear. Once you're well, I imagine your former head of house wants to speak with you about your recent behavior."

"Snape can go to hell!"

"Perhaps you'd rather talk to the police, or perhaps the Aurors?"

Pansy sagged against the magical bonds, defeated.

"Now, it seems that you've attracted a lot of attention to yourself in Hogsmeade, young lady. Therefore, Hogwarts is the safest place for you right now."

"I can take care of myself!"

"I'm sure, dear." Poppy said. "That's why Assistant Professor Longbottom had to carry you into my Hospital Wing."

"'Assistant Professor Longbottom'!" Patsy scoffed, "Don't make me laugh. What does Longbottom teach, anyway? Finger-painting?"

"He's Assistant Professor of Potions, teaching 1st years, and he's quite good at it."

"You're putting me on. Next thing you'll tell me is that it was Professor Snape's idea."

"As a matter of fact, it was." Poppy smirked.

Patsy's mouth dropped open, and the Medi-Witch took the opportunity to slip in a spoonful of soup.

oOo

December 15, 2004~

She sat impatiently, arms folded, in the waiting room at the clinic with Severus calmly leafing through the October issue of Potions Monthly.

"Calm down, dear." He murmured, turning the page. "It's just a checkup. I'm sure they'll find things to be in order."

Ana scowled at him.

"It's been far too long that we've waited." She grumbled, uncrossing and re-crossing her legs in agitation, smoothing down her scarlet dress with her gloved hands. "And why are you reading that issue again? The copy you have at home is nearly worn out; you surely have it memorized by now."

"They are rather busy today." He sighed, closing the magazine and laying it aside. "You know how it is; they never have new magazines at a Healer's office."

Ana huffed in frustration, tapping her foot nervously on the wooden parquet flooring.

"Professor Romanov-Snape?" A young Medi-Witch called from the doorway. "Healer Plumstead will see you now."

"About time." Ana grumbled under her breath as she rose to follow the young woman back to the Healer's office.

"Patience, darling." Severus said, trailing along behind his wife.

"Come in; come in, Ana, Severus." Healer Plumstead smiled as they walked into his office. "All good news today, I'm pleased to say. Your leukemia is still fully in remission, everything on your blood work was fine."

Ana blew out a sigh of relief as she sat down in one of the chairs, Severus sitting in the other.

"Well, that's certainly good news." She said, smiling at her husband.

"I'll want to see you again in," He frowned at his calendar, examining it closely, "A year from now. They'll make an appointment for you at the front desk."

"Excellent." Severus smiled, reaching over to gently give Ana's hand an affectionate squeeze.

"Oh, and it appears," Healer Plumstead went on, "that there's a very good reason for your problems; the nausea, the tenderness, the problems sleeping. The blood work shows that you are pregnant again. Congratulations."

Ana tightened her grip on Severus' hand painfully, her breath caught in her throat.

"I…that can't be…" She gasped. "I…we've been so careful. It's not possible."

"Nevertheless, that's what our tests show." The older man said gently. "You need to consult with your Healer, your Midwife, and make sure everything is in order.

After a brief hesitation, he leaned forward on his desk.

"If you wish to…end the pregnancy," Healer Plumstead said carefully, "It's not that risky at this point in time."

Ana blinked, feeling somewhat lightheaded, then glanced at her husband.

"It's up to you, dear." Severus said softly.

"No." Ana said, shaking her head. "I…I'm only thirty years old, and in fine health. I…I'd rather go on with it, if it's safe to do so."

Healer Plumstead nodded.

I've looked over the surgeon's report on your Cesarean. Everything went perfectly, and you should have no problem whatsoever with a normal delivery if you choose that way. Of course, the Cesarean is always an option if necessary."

Severus frowned at her, gently flexing his fingers, which had begun to turn white due to Ana gripping them so tightly. Glancing at him, she released his hand.

"Sorry, love." She said gently, and then looked at Healer Plumstead. "Thank you. We'll discuss this…and decide what we want to do."

"Of course, Ana." He nodded. "As always, I stand ready to assist you in any way I can."

Taking their leave of Healer Plumstead, they left the office after making an appointment for next December. Silently walking down the street toward the apparition point, each deep in their own thoughts, they didn't speak until they were almost there.

"I want to keep this baby, Severus." Ana said softly, stopping on the sidewalk. "I don't know if we…there's no telling if we might have another."

He had stopped to listen to her, his breath turning to white mist in front of him in the cold.

"Whatever you decide, darling, I support." Severus said gently. "I'm happy with Nina and Marcus, or I'm happy with another child. My sole concern is your health. Do you truly feel strong enough to go through another pregnancy and delivery?"

She nodded.

oOo

Author's notes:

"Поймать эту женщину.": "Catch that woman."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 33

January 2, 2005~

Pansy hummed softly under her breath, cleaning dust from an empty bookshelf. She'd been moved into a room in the Astronomy tower, more to her liking as there weren't many students wandering around. She despised the curious looks, the staring, and the whispers as she passed by them. While she was clean again, and dressed in better clothes, and finally feeling stronger, they still talked about her.

Her hair was slowly growing out, having been cut by Poppy when the Medi-Witch and Professor Romanov-Snape gave up on trying to get all of the tangles out of it. (Even Professor Romanov-Snape, with her own long, lovely hair that never seemed to tangle, was at a loss.) But now her hair was clean, and back to its normal auburn shade, soft and gently curling at the ends.

A polite knock, three raps, on the door.

"Who is it?" She said warily, feeling a bit silly for brandishing a feather duster at the door.

"Neville."

She grimaced, groaning inwardly. _Of all people-_

Going to the door, she cracked it open.

"What do you want, Longbottom?" She said irritably.

"I came by with some things that Professor Romanov-Snape had for you." He replied, nodding at several boxes that were floating just behind him. "Shall I leave them here in the hall for you?"

"You know I can't do magic." Pansy snapped, "They broke my wand, remember? I never learned to do much in the way of wandless magic, so-"

"Well, if I may come in, I'll bring them in for you."

"Fancy a shag, perhaps, Longbottom?" She hissed nastily, reveling in the discomfort on his face. "Figure I can compensate you for all the things you've so kindly done for me? Work it off on my back, perhaps?"

Neville sighed, fighting to compose himself as he blushed deeply.

"No, Pansy. I'm not like that. If you'd rather, I can just drop the boxes here in the hallway, and you can carry them in as well you can. But some of them are a bit heavy."

_I'm not going to allow her to bully me, as she bullied everyone when we were students_, Neville thought to himself, looking her steadily in the eye. _I'm not the little boy that she could intimidate as she pleased, not now._

For a moment, he thought she might hit him as they stood there with their eyes locked, her gray eyes full of fire and defiance as she tried to stare him down. After a few moments, her gray eyes faltered, abruptly seeming to lose their fire completely as they dropped to the floor. Docilely, she moved back from the doorway, swinging the door open to allow him in.

He hesitated, and then walked into the room, using his wand to float the boxes into the small sitting room.

"Right." He said nervously, lowering the boxes to the floor and tucking his wand away. "Professor Romanov-Snape said that the clothes should fit, but if you need them adjusted, just floo her or Poppy, and they'll-"

"Get out, Longbottom." Pansy said softly, sitting down on the floor amidst the boxes.

"Pardon?" He asked, blinking.

"I said get out!" She shrieked, grabbing a teacup from the coffee table and flinging it at him, only narrowly missing. The teacup shattered on the stone wall, pelting Neville with fragments of china as he scrambled to get out the door.

oOo

Ana frowned, then leaned over to Neville, staring intently at his hair as he cut his roast beef. They were seated at the staff table in the Great Hall, and dinner had just been served by the house elves, the hall filled with quiet conversation of students and the faculty.

"What?" He muttered irritably, glancing over at her, inadvertently drawing Severus' attention.

"It appears that you have some…china fragments in your hair, Longbottom." Snape drawled. "Is there something we should know about?"

By now, Ana had deftly plucked a bit of china out of Neville's hair, and was examining it closely.

"No, nothing, Professor." Neville said, forking a bit of beef and chewing it nervously.

"You and Pansy didn't have another fight, did you?" Ana asked, holding up the fragment. "This is the same pattern that I gave her to use in her kitchen."

Neville sighed, putting his fork down.

"She got mad and threw a cup at me, Professor." He said, shrugging. "I took the boxes of clothes up to her, just as you asked me to do, and then she flew mad at me. I don't even bother to try to understand her, ma'am."

"I wonder what she was upset about." Ana mused, half to herself.

"I don't have a clue," Neville sighed. "Pansy despised me from the day I met her, when we were eleven years old and first-years here at Hogwarts. She took great delight back then in tormenting me, as well as everyone else that she didn't like. I gave up on trying to please her a long time ago."

"Well, people change, Neville." Ana said, tucking the shard of china into the pocket of her robes, with a glance at Severus.

oOo

She was picking at her roast beef, idling pushing a bit of it around her plate, when the knock came at her door. Sullenly, she said nothing, hoping they would go away. After a few moments, just as she thought they had left, the knock came again.

"Who is it?" She said, scowling at the door.

"Pansy, it's Ana. May I come in?"

With a sigh, she composed herself, getting up from the floor and the upturned box she was using as a makeshift dining table. Going to the door, she opened it.

"Hello, Professor."

"Hello, Pansy." Ana said, walking into the room. "I see the house elves brought your dinner up here. Still not keen on eating in the Great Hall, I take it?"

Pansy frowned, shaking her head.

"I can't stand the students." She said, hugging herself. "They're always looking at me like…like I'm some kind of freak."

"I don't think that's why, Pansy." Ana said gently, sitting down on the couch. "It may be more that they are students, they are curious by nature, and they probably assume you're a member of the staff or faculty."

"That's a laugh." The younger woman snorted derisively. "I'm nobody now. I was a witch, a member of a pure-blood family, and now…"

Tears, unbidden, began to roll down Pansy's cheeks, her face collapsing in long-repressed grief.

"My…my family is all gone, dead or imprisoned, scattered…I have no one to turn to. I have no job, no income, no resources, nothing. I don't even have a wand to protect myself with. I-"

Ana rose from the couch, walking over to the younger woman to embrace her.

"There, there, Pansy." She said gently, as Pansy sobbed into her shoulder, clinging to her. "You need to get your strength up, to heal, to rest. We will help you get back on your feet, dear. Severus and I have discussed it, and he feels that as your former head of house, he needs to take care of you until you can care for yourself."

"But…Professor…I don't have a wand, I don't have anything. They're still looking for me in Hogsmeade for stealing that bread, I-"

"Pansy." Ana said, holding her by the shoulders. "You can walk through all of Hogsmeade safely. Nobody's going to bother you."

"But…how?"

"One of your classmates, dear." Ana smiled, "Said he was happy to help you out. His wife sent over some of her clothes, as well as collected some from her friends, after I gave her your size."

Now fresh tears were rolling down Pansy's cheeks, with her swiping at her eyes with the back of her hand. Ana produced a hanky from the pocket of her robes, handing it to her.

"I must be going now, dear." Ana said gently, reaching back into her pocket. "But, you might try being nicer to everyone. We are trying to help you, you know. All of us."

With that, she dropped the china shard that she'd plucked from Neville's hair on the coffee table, and left.

oOo

Neville was intently researching an interaction between dandelion root and Eowan sap when the knock came at his door, and it was so soft that for a moment, he sat at his desk thinking he was hearing things.

_I do hope Peeves isn't up here, up to his old games_, he thought. Turning back to the copy of Finkelstein &amp; Groumeyere's Comprehensive Toxicology, his brow furrowed with concentration as he searched for the information he needed. After a few minutes, the knock came again, louder this time, yet still difficult to hear. Neville laid his quill down, rubbing his eyes in frustration.

_I could just ignore it_, he thought, not without a bit of guilt. _But what if it's Ana, or Severus?_

With a sigh, he got up from his desk, walking over to the door, and opened it.

Pansy Parkinson stood at his door, her thin body wrapped in a shawl, shivering. After a brief hesitation, she looked up at Neville as he towered over her.

"May I come in?" She said meekly.

Neville stared down at her for nearly a full minute, dumbfounded.

"I…" He began.

"I won't take long, I promise." She pleaded, her eyes begging with him.

"I…alright, I suppose." He said, backing out of the doorway and gesturing to the couch in his sitting room. "Please, sit down over here by the fire, warm up a bit. Would you like some tea?"

"I…um, yes, please." Pansy said, walking past him to stand before the fireplace, holding her hands out to the warmth.

"I'll…I'll just go put the kettle on." Neville said, walking into the kitchen.

As she listened to Neville puttering around in the kitchen, filling the kettle and putting it on the burner, her eyes wandered up to the mantel of the fireplace. Framed pictures lined it, along with various mementoes from his life.

A framed picture of Severus, Ana, and two children.

Another of Luna Lovegood, with some wizard she didn't know, and a baby.

Hermione Granger, by herself. Pansy couldn't help but feel a twinge of enmity.

An older couple, a dark haired man and his wife, that she didn't recognize.

Harry Potter, with Ginny Weasley, with what looked to be their children.

Ron Weasely, in the uniform of some Quiddich Team, not one that she recognized…

"Pansy?"

Startled, she turned to him.

"How do you take your tea?" Neville asked from the kitchen doorway.

"Two lumps of sugar, if you don't mind." She said, blinking. "Um…Neville, who is this?"

Neville looked over, squinting at the picture that Pansy was pointing to. His mouth twitched slightly, and then he recovered, smiling nervously.

"Um, that's one's my mum and dad." He then ducked back into the kitchen, as the teakettle had begun to whistle.

_Oh, my_, Pansy groaned inwardly. _His mum and dad. That was very sensitive of me, wasn't it?_

_Be nice_, Professor Romanov-Snape had told her.

_Well, I'm sure to make a botch of this, aren't I?_ She mocked herself.

Neville came into the sitting room, carefully carrying a tray with a tea set, and set it on the coffee table. With a nervous glance at Pansy, he busied himself with preparing the tea.

"There's no need to be nervous, Neville." She sighed. "I'm not going to eat you."

"I'm not nervous." He said, plucking two lumps of sugar from the bowl and promptly dropping them, one skittering across the table to land on the floor.

"Let me do it." Pansy sighed, taking the tongs from him and getting the sugar herself. Once she had her tea to her liking, she sat down in a chair near the fire.

"I came down here to apologize." She said softly, and then took a sip of the tea.

_It's quite good_, she thought in surprise, then took another sip, frowning. _I've never had this tea, but it's excellent._

"Oh, don't mind that." He said, "I…well, you don't need to apologize to me."

"I do." She said, fighting down a wave of irritation. "I'm sorry that I behaved so badly, so hatefully to you. Ever since you brought me back to Hogwarts, trying to help me, I've been absolutely awful to you, and I wanted to say I'm sorry."

"It's fine. Nothing to worry about."

_For Merlin's sake, stop being such a doormat!_ She screamed inwardly at him. _Don't you ever get angry about anything?_

Closing her eyes, she struggled to calm herself down, doing the breathing exercise that Professor Romanov-Snape had taught her. Finally, she opened her eyes. Neville was watching her with a quizzical expression on his face.

"Neville," Pansy said, "I know that you aren't angry with me, I can tell that. You've always been one of the most kind and forgiving people I've ever known. But it's important that I apologize to you for the way I acted, and the way I've treated you the whole time I've known you. I've been absolutely horrible to you, and I'm sorry."

"Well, it's really alright." Neville said. "I never took any of it personally, since it wasn't like you singled me out."

_No_, she sighed inwardly. _I targeted everyone that I didn't approve of, or didn't like, or whoever wasn't as pretty as I thought they should be, or was a Gryffindor, or a Ravenclaw, or a Hufflepuff…_

_And then later, I followed Draco, because I admired him, had a crush on him…until he took the Dark Mark, and I saw for myself how ugly something could truly be…_

Unable to stop herself, her eyes flicked over to the mantel, to the picture of Neville's parents, and bile rose in her throat, her stomach suddenly roiling with nausea.

_I supported that_, she thought, her face turning deathly pale, her nails digging painfully into her palms. _I cheered it on. I'm just as responsible as if it were my wand…_

"Pansy?" Neville said softly. "Are you alright?"

With a start, she opened her eyes, looking over at him. Putting her hand up to her cheek, she found it damp with tears.

"I…I'd best go." She said, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks as she bolted blindly for the door, leaving Neville sitting there on his couch, thoroughly confused. Hitting her shoulder on the doorframe, she staggered perhaps another twenty feet down the hall before falling to her knees, retching violently. Pansy lay panting on the floor, the vomit before her and on her robes adding to her misery until Neville appeared, taking out his wand and vanishing the mess.

"Leave me alone." She rasped pitifully, not able to meet his eyes.

"No, I don't think so." He said, tucking his wand away and scooping her up, ignoring her weak protests. "Now, let's get you back to your room."

"I hate you." She whispered weakly. "You big stupid lunk of a Gryffindor."

"Yes, yes, I know." He said, carrying her with ease as he walked briskly down the hallway toward the stairs to the Astronomy tower and her room. "By the way, you forgot to tell me I'm fat."

"I said you were fat?"

"You did. Many times." He said good-naturedly. "'Lardbottom', you used to call me."

"Oh." She said quietly, her eyelids getting heavy.

_I hadn't realized I was still so weak_, she thought. _I-_

Her head gently lolling against Neville's muscular shoulder, try as she might, she could not keep from drifting off to sleep.

oOo

Sunlight was streaming into the window, gradually coming to rest on Pansy's face. She grimaced as the bright light came to her eyelids, screwing them shut, and then pulling the duvet over her head with a low moan of agony. Sitting up and throwing the covers off, she realized she was still dressed in her nightgown, rather than still wearing her blue jeans and t-shirt that she'd been wearing under her robes when's she'd went to Longbottom's room the night before.

_How did I get to bed?_ She thought, rubbing her eyes. Swirling her tongue around in her mouth, she remembered. _Oh, yes. I threw up in his hallway. That, or hippogriffs have been camping in my mouth. Yuck._

Sliding out of the bed, she glanced at the clock.

It was well after noon.

_Well, looks like a lie-in for me_, she sighed. _I wonder if old 'Lardbottom' got a good eyeful when he put me to bed last night._

She went to her bathroom, taking out her toothbrush and brushing her teeth. Spitting out the last of it and putting her toothbrush in her cup, she walked back to the sitting room.

"Bee?" She called out, looking around the room. A muffled _pop_ announced the arrival of her house elf that Ana had arranged for her.

"Yes, Miss?" Bee said brightly.

"Can you get me some breakfast, please? Nothing too heavy, just some toast, unbuttered, and some fruit. Some tea, too."

"Yes, of course, Miss." The house elf nodded. "Is the young Miss still feeling sick? The young Potions Professor left the young Miss a potion, he did. Said it might help."

_One more thing I owe Longbottom for_, Pansy sighed irritably, gritting her teeth.

"Yes, I might need that, Bee." She said. "Tell me, did the 'young Potions Professor' put me to bed, Bee?"

"Oh, no, Miss." The house elf said, shaking her head vigorously. "He said it would be improper, summoned me and asked me to put you to bed, he did. Very polite man, he is."

oOo

Thomas Fishburn was sweating, and quite dirty. He was a small boy, even for a first year, and because of that had been lucky enough to be assigned to clean the great cauldron, which was still sticky with the residue of Pepper-Up potion. Taking a break with the scouring brush, he peered over the rim of the cauldron at the other two boys he was doing detention with.

"Blimey." He sighed. "Professor Longbottom's going to work us all to death."

Drury glared up at him from the floor, where he was scrubbing with a brush and wiped sweat from his eyes.

"If it hadn't been for you and those mussel gills," he panted, "we wouldn't be in this mess, Thomas. So shut it!"

"Boys," Neville said calmly, walking into the first-year Potions classroom with Severus Snape, "I think you need to talk less, and work more. This is a detention, not a party."

Seeing the former Potions master chilled the boys to the bone, and they set to their tasks with vigor. Severus walked over to the great cauldron, Thomas eyeing him nervously. He only knew of Snape by reputation and hushed whispers among the students, and he dearly wanted to be somewhere else right now. As Snape approached the cauldron he was cleaning, Tomas shrank back, his eyes wide with fear as he peered over the rim.

Snape, however, paid him no mind, reaching into the cauldron he was working on and scraping a bit of residue off the inside. Examining it closely, he walked back over to Neville.

"So…mussel gills were added?" Snape said, his eyes far away in thought.

"Yes." Neville nodded. "I've checked the references available to me, and talked to Professor Romanov-Snape about it, but even she didn't know why it happened."

"From the looks of things, you're lucky to have a great cauldron left." Snape sighed, glancing up. "Took out the ceiling, didn't it?"

"Yes. It's repaired now, but it took out about eight to nine stones, perhaps six feet by six."

Taking out a potions vial, Snape dropped the curl of residue into it.

"I'll take a look at this tonight in my laboratory after dinner." He sighed. "I'll let you know what you find out. There's a good reason for this, I'm sure. But do try to keep your students from adding silly things to the Pepper-Up potion. It could be dangerous."

"Oh, I'll keep a close eye on them, Professor." Neville nodded. The two men walked out of the room to the hallway, where Neville reached out to catch Snape by the arm.

"Professor." He said. "May I ask you something?"

"Of course, Neville."

"It's about Pansy. She's been acting a bit strange."

"Most women do, from time to time, Neville." Snape smirked. "Are you trying to understand her better? If so, forget it. I've known my own wife most of her life, yet she never fails to surprise me."

"Well, she came by the other night to…apologize to me." Neville said softly. "For everything she's done to me. Then, when I told her it was alright, she began to cry, and then she ran from the room. She was so upset, she…she got sick. Threw up in the hallway. I took her back to her room after I vanished the…the vomitus, then went back to mine."

"Go on."

"Well, that's pretty much it." The younger man sighed, running his hand through his hair. "She's pretty much…avoiding me now. I saw her briefly in the hall, and she turned and went the other way. I went by her room, and she won't answer the door."

"I have no idea what it could be, Neville." Snape said dryly. "Perhaps you should speak to my wife about it; after all, Pansy is one of her 'projects'."

"Right, then." Neville said, "By the way, I wondering…how are Luna and John getting along? And Elizabeth?"

"Very well, though John is very frustrated with his job at the Ministry. I don't imagine it will be long before he finishes his coursework and has his degree, and applies for the DADA position here."

"The DADA position? I thought that you were the DADA professor…"

"Neville, so long as…certain people sit on the Board of Regents, I will never 'officially' be the DADA professor here at Hogwarts. The only reason I am able to teach it is that Headmistress McGonagall has appointed me to the position temporarily, and they can do nothing to stop her from doing such as long as there is not an acceptable candidate for the position.

"However, my days in the post are numbered, and I'm very happy that John will be able to apply soon. He's sure to be approved by the Board, despite being in Slytherin. His twenty some odd years of service as an Auror ensure it."

"That's good to hear." Neville nodded. "We need a good instructor for DADA here. It's a real shame they won't allow you to do it a bit longer, with your experience, Professor."

"I'm tired of fighting the prejudices against me, Neville." Snape said softly. "I would rather live out my days, quietly running my apothecary supply house, devoting my time to my family, than teach much more than another year. Besides, controversy is bad for Hogwarts, and I've brought more than a fair share of it here."

"Do you think you might ever consider…being Headmaster again?"

"Never. Absolutely not."

oOo

February 3, 2005~

She turned over on her back, and then rolled back over on her right side. For twenty minutes, she lay there in the dark bedroom with her eyes closed.

_I can't sleep_, she sighed inwardly. _ I don't know why, but I feel restless._

Long moments passed, and then she plumped her pillow, as quietly as she could.

"I'm not asleep, you know." Severus said softly.

"Sorry."

"Not a problem, dear. You know that I'm a light sleeper. I always know when you're having a bad night."

"Well, it isn't really a bad night." Ana sighed, sliding her hand over to his to interlace their fingers. "No bad dreams, just feeling restless."

"Would you like me to massage your back? Are you hurting anywhere?"

"No, not really. I just can't put my finger on it, and that bothers me itself."

"How about I just hold you," Severus smirked, "and kiss you, and tell you how much you mean to me?"

Ana thought about it for a moment.

"That'll do." She smiled, sliding closer to him, giving a contented sigh as his arms slid around her.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 34

February 18, 2005, 1:23 a.m. ~

_She was wading, in black water that reached nearly up to her waist at times, soaking robes clear through and dragging at her, slowing her progress. Black, murky water, that seemed to go on endlessly, her feet struggling to break free from the muck on the bottom every time she took a step._

"_Pansy…where are you?"_

"_Coming, mother. I'm not far." She cried out, ducking as something dark flew by her. "Where are you?"_

"_Near the bank, by the willow." Drifted over to her._

_Struggling along, quickly growing weary as she fought her way toward her mother's voice. A bit of moss, hanging from a tree, snarled around her neck, choking her. Panicking, she tore at it blindly with both hands, gasping for air as it tightened around her neck. In horror, she realized that the moss had turned into Nagini, the serpent familiar of the dark lord, its mouth opening slowly to reveal its fangs, dripping saliva and venom as she grabbed it just below the head, pushing its mouth away from her, with its fetid breath that stank of death and decay. Her fingers scrabbled for purchase on the smooth, scaly hide as the snake stared malevolently at her, its forked tongue flicking in and out of its mouth. Despite her struggles, she found it wrapping coil after coil around her body, gradually crushing her until she could hardly breathe at all, her fingers clawing feebly at the powerful snake's body._

_As she struggled with the snake, she watched as Luna Lovegood walked up, silently watching her fight for her life, seeming almost bored with the struggle before her._

_Neville Longbottom and Severus Snape walked up next, with Neville crossing his arms across his chest, and Snape sneering down at her._

"_A real witch would be able to easily break free." Snape said casually. "I'm quite disappointed in you, Pansy."_

"_Indeed." Luna said. "She's not as good as she thought she was, is she? And I had such high hopes for her."_

"_What a waste of potential." Professor Romanov-Snape said drily, taking her husband by the arm. "I should have known she wasn't worth it. Quite a disappointment."_

"_Help me! Please!" Pansy begged, gasping to breathe, the snake constricting her air even further._

"_You got yourself into this mess," Neville said, shrugging, "Let's see you get out of it. We've babied you long enough. Show us you deserve it. Fight for it."_

"_I can't do it!" Pansy cried desperately, prying at a coil that Nagini was trying to put over her mouth. "It's too strong!"_

"_I'm very disappointed in you, Pansy." Headmistress McGonagall said, shaking her head in disapproval. "You were so bright, had so much potential…and you wasted it. Such a pity."_

_She choked on brackish water as Nagini dragged her under the water, fighting her way back up to the surface with a herculean effort born of panic. Coughing and retching violently, she spat out foul black water, sucking precious air into her lungs._

"_Please…Please!" She begged, reaching for Neville's hand, the one that happened to be closest._

_He looked at her for a moment, his face cold, and then shrugged._

"_You'll regret it, Neville." Snape said with a sigh. "She's not worth your trouble."_

"_I know, Professor Snape." Neville said, holding his hand out to her. "But I'm just foolish enough to give her a chance."_

_She missed his hand the first time, crying out loud in frustration._

"_Have to try better than that, Pansy." Luna said, half watching a glowing purple moth fly by. "You'll never get free at this rate."_

"_Come on, Pansy." Neville sighed, leaning closer. "I don't have all day for this."_

_Gritting her teeth, she lunged for his hand, grabbing it tightly._

_Her eyes widened in horror as the flesh sloughed off of it, the bones of Neville's hand coming apart in hers, his eyes widening in surprise._

_Then he laughed._

_And then the others began to laugh, the flesh sloughing off their faces, their hands, bone showing as they held their sides, their laughter ringing in her ears as her vision began to grow dim. She had time for one last shriek of terror as Nagini dragged her under the brackish water, her scream cut off in a swirl of bubbles._

Her face hurt.

She was lying on the floor, next to her bed, and Bee was standing near her with a puzzled expression on her face. Trembling, Pansy sat up, fighting her way free of the sheets and duvet that were still more or less tangled around her body.

"Is young Miss needing anything?" Bee asked cautiously, twisting the tea towel that she wore in her hands nervously.

"Some water, please." She said, her voice unsteady. Looking at her hands, she could see she would probably not be able to hold a cup. "A straw, too, please, and just set it on the floor next to me. Thank you, Bee."

The house elf vanished with a _pop_, reappearing almost immediately with a glass of water, and a straw, setting it within easy reach for Pansy. Gratefully, she drank half of it right away, lying on her tummy on the floor with the glass in front of her.

"Is the young Miss in need of a sleeping potion, perhaps?" Bee asked gently. "Or perhaps some Dreamless Sleep?"

"You can get me some Dreamless Sleep?" Pansy asked.

"Oh, yes, of course." Bee nodded. "Bee knows all about potions, she does."

"Then, could you please get me some Dreamless Sleep?" Pansy said hesitantly. "I really do need to sleep, but I'm afraid of the dreams."

There was a _pop_, and the house elf vanished, reappearing a moment later with a vial containing the familiar blue liquid that was Dreamless Sleep. Bee handed the vial carefully to Pansy, curtseying as she did so.

"Thank you, Bee." Pansy sighed, looking at the vial in her hand.

oOo

Severus lay in his bed, wide awake, just listening to the night sounds of the castle. Insomnia was no stranger to him; in fact, he often woke in the middle of the night, often to putter around in the potions lab, or wander the halls, looking for wayward students. However, since his marriage, he suffered less with it.

Ana murmured in her sleep, shifting closer to him, her hand sliding over his chest, the cool metal fingers of her prosthetic hand twitching once, then stilling. He smiled a bit, sliding his hand down her back, hugging her a bit closer to him.

"Mmm." She sighed, opening one eye to look at him sleepily. "You're awake."

"Yes."

"It's…" She rose up to look at his Muggle alarm clock on his nightstand, stifling a yawn. "It's three a.m., Severus. You really should try to sleep. We both have classes to teach tomorrow."

"I'm not sleepy." He sighed. "I…was just lying here in bed, listening to the castle. I don't know what it is, but something doesn't feel right."

"You're imagining things, Severus." She sighed, laying her head on his chest. "Everything is fine. I just checked the charms monitoring the children, they're both fast asleep."

"Ana, I can't shake the feeling that something isn't right."

"So what is it?"

"If I knew that, I could do something about it." He sighed, exasperated. "It's just a gut feeling that something is terribly wrong. I haven't felt like this…since the War, really. I just can't shake the feeling that the castle knows that something is off, and it's trying to communicate that."

Ana lifted her head, fully awake now, and regarded him soberly.

"Have you talked to the Headmistress about it?" She asked.

"No…not yet, anyway." He replied.

"Then go talk to her about it, tomorrow. For now, let's try to get some more sleep."

oOo

February 19, 2005, 8 p.m. ~

John was sitting in the rocker that he'd bought at an estate sale the previous month, steadily rocking Elizabeth, his daughter propped up on his shoulder on a flannel as he patted her back. She'd been having so much trouble with gas lately, and he had resigned himself to rocking her until she passed it, or they both passed out. They rocked; he patted her back and her bottom patiently. With a gurgle, her face turning a bit red, she cleared a bit of the gas out, but then began to fuss again.

"Shush, Lizzy." He murmured, his deep voice soothing her a bit, though she still was frowning. "Let's just rock a while longer, get it worked out."

The flames in the fireplace shifted color to green, and he sighed deeply, rolling his eyes heavenward. Floo calls on Friday evenings were never good news, in his experience. A young woman's face that he didn't recognize appeared in the flames.

"Luna, are you there?" She said, looking into the darkened room.

With a sigh, John got up and walked over to the fireplace, leaning down so the caller could see his face.

"Just a moment, please." He said, "I'll go fetch her. She's revising for her exams, but she needs a break."

"Oh!" said Pansy, looking up at him. "I saw you in a picture with Luna. Are you her husband?"

"No, at least, not yet." John smiled. "I'm John Worthington. We're doing everything in the most unusual way possible, I think. By the way, this is Elizabeth, our daughter. May I say who's calling?"

"Pansy Parkinson." She said, and then frowned. "Are you the John Worthington who was a beater for Slytherin, back in the '70's?"

"I am, or I used to be, rather." He smiled. "But that was ages ago. Let me go get Luna for you, she's in the kitchen."

As he walked to the kitchen, where she was bent over her parchments and books, Luna looked up.

"You have a floo call, love." John said, "A Pansy Parkinson."

"Oh, dear." Luna said, rising from the table. "I'd wondered how long it would be. Ana said that she was doing fine, but now all of a sudden she was having problems for some reason."

"Well, you'd best go talk to her."

"Do you want me to take her?" She said, nodding to Elizabeth and holding out her hands.

"Oh, no, we're fine." He sighed, leaning down to give her a peck on the cheek. "I think she wants me to walk around with her, and that works better right now for me than sitting. Get some circulation back in my leg. I'll walk her up and down the hallway."

"You're such a good daddy." Luna smiled, reaching up to pinch his cheek. "Don't wear yourself out, though. Let the house elf take her for a bit if you get tired, alright?"

"Okay." He nodded.

Luna walked into the sitting room, and then lowered herself to the floor to sit cross-legged before the fireplace.

"Hi, Pansy." She said cheerfully. "How are you?"

"Better, thank you." Pansy's greenish tinted face said. "Your daughter is so adorable! I think that's the first time I've seen her for real, not in a magical photograph. She has so much hair, and it's brown!"

"Adorable?" Luna laughed, "She's a bit out of sorts right now, so she's not exactly acting adorable right now. Thank Merlin for John; he's taking care of her so I can study, otherwise I might not get a thing done. She has my eyes and complexion, but she got her hair from John.

"But enough about us, what did you need? Did those jeans and blouses I sent fit okay?"

"They're a perfect fit. Professor Romanov-Snape helped me adjust them…it's such a pain not having a wand. I should have paid more attention to non-verbal spells and their use when I was in school."

"Oh? You don't have a wand? I didn't know, Pansy." Luna said, blinking in surprise. "We'll have to get you one soon. Maybe next weekend Ginny and I can take you by Ollivander's, we can do some girl stuff too. Shopping and that kind of thing. Madam Rosmerta has a new recipe for strawberry cheesecake that is absolutely to die for, you need to try it."

"That would be fun." Pansy said, a shadow passing across her face. "I…I wanted to thank you for everything you've done for me. You've all been very kind."

"Well, you're quite welcome, Pansy." Luna smiled gently. "I was in a bad spot around this time last year, and my friends helped me out. Look, have you thought about going to college?"

"No. How on earth would I pay for it?" She sighed. "My account at Gringott's was closed when my family's assets were seized by the Ministry."

"Talk to Professor Romanov-Snape; she is associated with a scholarship here. That's how I was able to go to graduate school. I'm sure that she would be quite willing to help you."

"Luna, she's already done too much." Pansy said, frowning. "I…I don't want to be a burden."

"Well, I could help you now, too. I'm nearly finished with my degrees, and now that John is here to help me, we could help you. If you want to go to school, we'll make it work."

Pansy looked down, her mouth twisting into a grimace as she blushed, then back up at Luna.

"Why are you people being so nice to me!" She exploded, her face twisting in agony, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I don't deserve this! If you only knew what I've done-"

"Pansy, please." Luna said, alarmed. "Please calm down. What you've done doesn't matter. All of us are helping you because we love you. You're a classmate of most of us, and we don't want to see you hurting, or suffering."

"You have no idea what I've done." Pansy said with a sharp sob, and then abruptly ended the floo call.

Luna sat there on the floor before the fireplace for a moment, blinking in surprise.

"Everything alright, dear?" John said from the doorway of the kitchen, patting Elizabeth on the back gently as he watched Luna get up.

Luna set her jaw in determination, reaching for a handful of floo powder, her blue eyes turning stormy. Pulling her wand out of the ponytail that her hair was gathered into, she held it in a ready position, gazing intently at the fireplace.

_Oh, boy_, John thought, _here we go. Pansy is about to see how much Luna has changed these past few years._

"Luna? Is everything alright?" He asked her again. She blinked, turning her head to look at him.

"Yes, John." Luna said, smiling thinly, "Everything is fine. Could you excuse me? I think the connection dropped. I'll be back in a little while, after I straighten this out."

Tossing the floo powder into the fire, she stood up.

"Pansy Parkinson's sitting room." Luna said calmly, and then stepped into the flames, vanishing.

John sighed, and then looked down at Elizabeth with a smile. She gurgled, reaching up to grab his nose, cooing softly.

"Looks like it's me and you for a little bit, kiddo." He said, gently kissing his daughter on the forehead, and then wrinkled his nose, his eyes watering.

"Oh, Merlin's beard." John sighed, holding Elizabeth a bit farther away from himself. "I do believe you've made me a present, and it's a smelly one."

"_Finum Odore_." He sighed, casting a wandless charm to block the smell, and carrying her back to the nursery to change her diaper.

oOo

Accompanied by a thunderous boom and a flash that resembled lightning, Luna stepped out of the fireplace into Pansy's sitting room.

"You didn't think you'd brush me off that easy, did you?" Luna said, brushing soot off her clothes. "You forget, my future husband was an Auror. He taught me how to force a floo open, you know."

Pansy spun around, panic in her eyes, desperately looking for a way to escape.

"I-"

"Sit down." Luna said sharply, pointing at the couch. "Now."

"I don't-"

"Sit. NOW. Or I'll cast body-bind on you."

Pansy sat down, hugging her knees, eyeing Luna warily as she sat on the couch.

"Now, this really is getting tiresome, Pansy." Her former classmate said gently, sitting down in an armchair across from her. "You have friends, lots of friends. Despite whatever happened between you and others in the past, guess what? They don't hold it against you. For example, Neville. He-"

"Neville's just trying to-"

"Don't interrupt me, Pansy." Luna said, holding up her wand, "Or do I need to cast _langlock_?"

The dark haired young woman shook her head, eyeing the wand nervously.

"Now, where was I?" Luna said, absently tucking her wand behind her ear. "Oh, yes. Your little pity party, the tantrums that you seem to throw so often. Frankly, I'm quite tired of this, Pansy. Yes, we all know how horrible you were in school. You were never mean to me, really, though I do know you were cruel to some of my friends.

"But that is all in the past. All is forgiven. Water under the bridge, as folks say. Nobody is holding any grudges against you, and you acting as if they do is quite tiresome. We're your classmates, your friends, Patsy. We love you."

"But I-"

"No buts. Let it go, Pansy. We're all trying to help you, and we expect nothing in return. You getting back on your feet is reward enough for me, personally. You've had a hard time of it, and you needed a break. I know you're having a hard time, and I'm here to help you, to listen, and to give you the best advice I can. Because I'm your friend."

"Can…can I ask you something, Luna?" Pansy said timidly.

"Sure."

"I don't understand…I can't help myself with Neville." Pansy said miserably, "I just get so angry with him, and he's been nothing but helpful and polite to me. I try to be nice to him, but somehow…I always end up angry with him."

Luna sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"I don't know what it could be, Pansy." She said. "Have you talked with him about it?"

"I've tried, Luna, really I have. But it always seems to go wrong. It's like I get along well with everyone…well, I haven't talked to Hermione, but I even talked to Harry and Ginny Potter over at the Snape's the other day, and that went well. I even got to hold Nina and Albus, Marcus too. But Neville…I start out doing alright, but it seems like there's always something that he says or does…I just get so angry with him. I feel so bad about it, but I can't seem to help it."

"Well, perhaps you're rushing some things. Just avoid Neville, maybe take him in small doses, and build up your tolerance to him." Luna smiled.

"You make it sound like I'm allergic to him," Pansy sighed, "or that he's a potion that makes me break out. I try, Luna, I really do. He…he's still acting like a doormat. But it's worse. He just laughs it off when I'm mean to him."

"So try not being mean to him."

"I do, but it never fails that he always says something that sets me on edge."

"Try harder, Pansy." Luna smiled gently. "Think about why you get mad at him, try to sort that out. I know Neville pretty well, and I don't think he's goading you on purpose."

Pansy looked down at her feet with a sigh.

"Keep in mind that we all want things to be better for you." Luna said softly, then got up, walking over to the fireplace and picking up a handful of floo powder.

"Now, I need to get back home, to John and Elizabeth, and my studies." She said, rolling the green shiny floo powder around in her hand, "But I want you to come visit me, so we can see about getting you into school at Beauxbartons. And talk to Ana about the scholarship, because I'll be suggesting you as a recipient. Okay?"

Pansy nodded.

"Okay, Luna. I'll do it." She said, feeling rather uneasy about the whole thing.

"Seriously, Pansy. Don't forget."

"I won't, I promise."

"Floo me after Wednesday afternoon, I should be able to help you with it Thursday." Luna said, tossing the floo powder into the fireplace. "See you next week, Pansy."

"See you then, Luna." Pansy said, watching her friend vanish in the green flames.

She sat on the couch for a long time, long after the fire had died down to red coals, glowing in the grate like the eyes of a basilisk, staring accusingly at her. Bee asked if she needed anything, but Pansy just waved her off, dismissing her for the night. With a sigh, the house elf disappeared with a _pop_, leaving Pansy alone in the dark sitting room with her own thoughts. With her demons.

_You are the lowest of the low._ Their shrill voices echoed through her mind. _The worst of the worst. _

_Professor Romanov-Snape took you in, kept you from being arrested for stealing, hid you at Hogwarts._

_Professor Snape, with his gentle and wise counsel, the former head of my house that I admired so much in school._

_Poppy nursed you back to health in the Hospital Wing, even though you are no longer a student._

_Neville's been nothing but a gentleman, seeing to your welfare, being kind and gentle despite your abusing him._

_Harry and Ginny Potter have brought me clothes, and Harry made that theft charge disappear. _

_Luna is willing to move heaven and earth for me to help me get into school, even willing to pay for it with what little money she has._

_I've eaten their food at their dinner tables; held and played with their children…they trust me. They trust me, not knowing the truth._

_Traitor._ Echoed in her mind, as she slid to the floor, retching violently as the room seemed to whirl around her.

_Everyone is trying to help me, not knowing that they've taken in a serpent. _

_If I do what I've been told to do, they could all die._

_If I don't do as they told me to, mother will die._

_Merlin help me…_

oOo

"When do we move? She's in."

"We wait."

"We've been waiting for years! Worthington's gone, he's in France now."

"Do you want to end up like Eaon Cadwell?" Sighed the shorter of the two men, taking his eye away from the magical telescope. "Or the Carrows, perhaps? Myself, I'd rather not be on the business end of Snape's hexes."

Silence, then the first man, the impatient one, shook his head no.

"We wait." The shorter, stockier man said patiently. "We wait until the signal, when she's opened the gates."

"What if she refuses? What if she changes her mind?"

"We kill her mother, that's what we do."

"Then what?"

The second man sighed.

"We start all over again, and we wait." He said grimly, peering through the telescope at the Astronomy tower.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 35

March 1, 2005~

"Professor Snape?"

He turned to find Pansy Parkinson behind him in the hallway.

"Yes, Pansy?" He said, turning to face her fully.

"I need to talk to you, sir." She said, swallowing nervously. "It's important."

"Of course."

"If you don't mind, sir…it's private."

"Come with me." He sighed, walking into a nearby classroom. When she came in, he closed the door and warded it, also casting _silencio_ to prevent eavesdropping.

"So, what did you need to talk about, Pansy?" Snape asked, leaning against a desk.

"I've lied to you all." She said, her voice barely a whisper, trembling with fear. "I'm not what you think I am. I've sold you out…to the Death Eaters."

"Go on." Snape said calmly, his black eyes locked on hers. Unseen, he withdrew his wand, palming it.

"They have my mother, Professor." Pansy sobbed, fighting to maintain her composure. "They want me to open the gates for them to get into Hogwarts just before midnight, on April 7th. If I don't, they promised that they'd kill her."

"Do you know who their leader is?"

"Rudolphus Lestrange." Pansy said, sitting down at one of the desks, her legs finally giving way. "Professor…I'm sorry…"

"Never mind that, Pansy." He said, sitting down next to her. "Why did you come forward to tell me this?"

"I…I can't go through with this, Sir." She whispered miserably, tears rolling down her cheeks. "You've all been so kind to me, so generous…they told me I was nothing, and then promised they would restore my family to its former status…"

"And you found that was a lie, didn't you." Severus said softly.

"Yes, Sir." She said, wiping her eyes on her robe. "You can use Legilimency on me if you need to. I'm telling the truth, I swear it."

"Here." Snape said gently, offering her his hanky. "I've already used it on you. I know everything, and you are indeed telling the truth."

"Thank you." Pansy looked over at him, her face twisting in agony. "They'll kill my mother now for sure, won't they? Especially now that I've talked to you?"

Snape let out a sigh, rubbing his eyes.

_How do I tell her that her mother is probably already dead?_ He thought, watching her with a neutral expression. _They used the faint bit of hope to corrupt Pansy, as they so often do with the naïve._

_As they did with me_, he recalled bitterly.

"I can't say for sure, Pansy." He said, "It's not likely that she'll survive either way, even if she is alive. I haven't seen your mother since just a few months before the Battle of Hogwarts."

"What do I do?" The young woman said, fresh tears spilling down her cheeks, her chin trembling with fear. "I came to you because…because of what you did to stop the Dark Lord. You were my head of house; surely you know how to help me."

Snape sat back in the chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. Finally, he sighed, leaning forward to look directly at her.

"I need to meet with you daily, until it is time for you to open the gates." He said. "I hope I will have enough time to teach you what you need to know."

"Such as?"

"Occlumency, for one." Snape sighed. "A few…rather arcane spells, ones that you've never learned, let alone knew existed. Also, what we do to prepare must be a closely held secret. For now, only the two of us should know about it; while we may bring the Ministry in on it, it would probably be best if we did not."

Pansy swallowed nervously, pushing aside her misgivings.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" He asked softly, his black eyes boring into hers. "The spell I have in mind is a dark one, and probably hasn't been used for a hundred years."

_I may have been a total bitch, despised by everyone_, she thought grimly, _but I will redeem myself somehow._

"When do we begin, Sir?" She said.

oOo

March 7, 2005~

Pansy glared at the door, willing the person there to go away. Instead, they knocked again.

_This late, it's either Professor Romanov-Snape…or Longbottom_, she sighed. _I'd better answer the door in case it's the Professor. Longbottom, I'll just shoo him away, like the pest he is._

Opening the door a crack, she glared up at Neville.

"It's late, Lardbottom." She hissed nastily, glaring up at him. "I certainly hope you have a good reason for bothering me this late. I'm really not in the mood for your foolishness."

He rewarded her efforts with a big grin, holding up a bag.

"I brought you something." Neville said. "May I come in?"

"Why, do I need to pay you with a quick tumble for it?" She muttered bitterly, opening the door. "Do you think I'm that easy?"

_I should have my head examined for putting up with his nonsense_, she thought.

"No, not tonight." He smirked, setting the bag on the coffee table and sitting down on the couch. "Perhaps another day."

_The cheek of him!_ She thought, her cheeks burning furiously. _If I had my wand, I'd hex his bollocks off!_

"Go ahead, open it." He grinned, waving his hand at the bag.

"You act like it's a present for you." Pansy said sourly, picking up the bag and sitting down on a chair, as far as she could get from Neville and his good cheer.

"Maybe I'm just excited about finding you a good present."

"Perhaps. I'll be the judge of that." She scoffed, peering into the bag.

For a long moment, she just stared at it, her mouth open in shock.

"Well?" Neville prodded, smiling.

"It…It's a box from Ollivander's…" She said softly, still in a state of disbelief.

"It is."

Slowly, as if in a dream, she reached into the bag, withdrawing the box and carefully opening it. Numbly, she stared at the contents of the box.

"Go ahead, pick it up, and try it." He said gently. "Make sure it works well for you. He had to hunt for it a long time, but there was a second one."

_A second one?_ She thought, then her eyes widened as she realized what he meant.

Carefully, she made a slight movement with the new wand, smiling involuntarily when a lovely shower of sparks erupted from the end. If anything, it worked better than the wand that was broken.

Remembering where she was, and who she was with, she forced the smile off her face.

_This won't do_, she thought grimly. _No, this won't do at all._

Putting the wand back in the box carefully, she slid it across the table to Neville.

"I can't accept this." She said, her voice faltering slightly.

_Liar_, she rebuked herself. _You do want it. You know you want it._

"You can't return it. I won't accept it." Neville said, crossing his arms across his chest. "It's your wand."

"Take it back."

"No."

"Longbottom. Take. It. Back."

"No."

"Damn it, Lardbottom!" She hissed, flipping the top off the box and grabbing the wand, pointing it right at his face. "I'll hex you into next week if you don't take this damned wand back!"

"Then go ahead and do it. Because I'm not taking it back."

For several minutes, he sat calmly watching her, the wand wavering slightly as she glared daggers at him. Slowly, she lowered the wand, her hand shaking badly.

"I hate you. I hate you so much." She said quietly, her voice unsteady. "You, of all people. You fat, ugly, prissy, clumsy Gryffindor. I made your life miserable in school. Why won't you just leave me alone? Why are you so nice to me?"

"We're no longer in school, Pansy." He replied, looking directly at her. "I know what it's like to be alone, to feel as if you have no friends. I'm not being nice to you because I want something from you. I'm being nice to you because that's how I am to everyone."

Rising from the couch, he looked at her.

"I'm going to go now." He said. "You don't owe me anything for the wand, or anything else I do to help you."

Numbly, she watched him walk to the door, open it, and leave.

_Why? _She thought, sinking to her knees on the stone floor. _How has my life gotten to this point? _

_In a month, when I open the gates for the Death Eaters, I may have to use this wand against him._

_Can I do that?_

_I have to stay alive long enough to execute the plan Professor Snape and I made, or it's all for naught._

Putting her wand in her pocket, she hugged her knees, pressing her forehead into them as she squeezed her eyes tightly shut. Trying in vain to stop the tears that rolled down her cheeks freely, trying to quell the trembling of her body.

_I don't want Neville to die._

_I don't want to have to kill him._

_What I have to do might kill him._

She swiped at her eyes with the back of her hand, sniffing.

_But for the plan to work, I have to take the risk. I have to do what Snape taught me to do._

Getting up with a sigh, she held up her new wand, examining it closely. Experimentally, she went through the wand motions that Professor Snape had taught her earlier that day.

_I'd better practice_, she thought grimly, as she concentrated on getting the wand motions just right.

_Especially if I don't want Neville to die._

oOo

April 7, 2005, 11:58 p.m.~

"Check Longbottom, Pansy." Lestrange hissed, his wand at the ready. "Make sure he is dead."

Pansy smirked, then, holding her new wand aloft, walked past Ana, where the Potions professor knelt, cradling her unconscious husband's head. The gaze of her former Potions professor's gray eyes, full of pain from her broken arm, seething with hatred, bored right through her.

_Good thing I broke her arm so she couldn't use her wand_, Pansy thought, shuddering inwardly. _I'm glad I had the foresight to lock her owl up, too. I do believe that she would quite willingly give her life to kill me right now._

_But not today, Professor Romanov-Snape. Not today._

Headmistress McGonagall, disarmed, three Death Eaters pointing wands at her as she stood between them and the crowd of students in the Great Hall. Minerva's gray eyes followed Pansy as she went by, silently rebuking her.

Poppy Pomphrey's disapproving glare as she tended the wounded.

Ignoring them all, Pansy walked over to Neville where he lay by the fireplace, to kneel next to his body. She put her ear to his chest, pretending to listen for a heartbeat.

_Dear Merlin_, she thought, _I hope this works. I hope that the spell Snape taught me worked. _

_I hope that what I'm about to do works. Because if it doesn't…_

"_Enervate mortis."_ She whispered, putting all of her concentration into the spell, concealing her wand movement as best she could.

Neville's eyes fluttered open, focusing with difficulty on hers. As he coughed and began breathing again, Pansy quickly put her hand to her mouth, pretending that she was coughing. Before he could speak, she put a finger to his lips, silencing him.

_That was a close one_, she thought. _I hope nobody noticed._

"_Silencio_." Pansy whispered, sliding Neville's wand from her sleeve and slipping it into his hand. Waving her wand over him, she pretended to be checking for vital signs, while at the same time casting a healing spell on his injuries.

"Neville." She whispered, acutely aware that some of the Death Eaters were watching her. "Play dead. When you hear me cast _avada kedavra_, get up and start fighting. Get Severus and the others out if you can. The Aurors are on their way."

"What about you?" Neville whispered, tucking his wand underneath himself to conceal it.

"Never mind me, Neville." Pansy smiled sadly. "Leave me. Save the others."

"Pansy! Wait!" Neville whispered urgently.

"Neville, I've taken too much time as it is." She said gently, stroking his cheek with a finger. "They're watching me. I have to go. Now, be quiet and still. It'll all be over soon."

"Well, is he dead, or not?" Mickleson sneered from where he was, only twenty feet away behind her.

"He's dead." Pansy said, standing up, holding up a pocket watch to admire. "I just wanted to lift his Grandfather's pocket watch that he was so damn proud of. He won't need it now."

"You bitch! How much lower can you sink, to steal from the dead?" Ginny hissed, struggling against the vines holding her fast, her wand in her hand but secured to her side. "You traitor! We helped you-"

"_Langlock_." Pansy sighed, waving her wand casually. Ginny's face went red as she continued to try to vilify her, despite the fact that her tongue was fixed to the roof of her mouth.

"Lord Lestrange, why does she get to have all the fun?" Complained Jenny Fulthurn, scowling at Pansy, who smirked back at her.

_Just a few seconds more and it will all end_, Pansy was thinking, a twinge of sadness coming on her. _I'll miss them._

"Because Mrs. Potter was attacking her, in that case." Rudolphus sighed, and then turned to Pansy. "Well, done, my dear. I-"

"_Avada Kedavra!_" Pansy's wand snapped up, pointing at Rudolphus Lestrange, a jet of green fire leaping from her wand to strike him square in the chest. His wand dropped from nerveless fingers as his eyes widened in surprise.

_Perfect shot_, she thought with a twinge of pride. _I wish my former head of house were conscious, so he could have seen it._

As she watched the lifeless corpse fall to the ground, flashes of green lit up around her. The Aurors had arrived, right on time. As she watched, Neville sprang up from the ground, killing three of the Death Eaters before he gained his feet, killing nearly a dozen more as he savagely fought his way toward her. Fire flashing from his wand, he hacked his way through the mob.

_Pansy_, she could see his lips forming, shouting her name as he cut down four more Death Eaters, his voice inaudible above the din of battle.

_How sweet_, Pansy thought, a single tear wandering down her cheek as she lowered her wand. _He really did care. But it's too late. Far too late for me. Besides, I prefer this to Azkaban._

_Perhaps my death will cleanse my soul._

As Mickleson aimed his wand at her, the Unforgivable forming on his lips, she closed her eyes, smiling thinly.

_Mum, Dad, I'll see you soon_, she sighed.

_Goodbye, Neville._ She thought sadly, just as a flare of green blinded her, and then everything went black.

oOo

"I don't have time for this. I need to get to 's, right after I check on our children."

"_Episkey_." Poppy said, waving her wand.

Ana sucked in her breath with a hiss of pain, turning pale, as the bones in her arm moved back into place with a grating sound. Breathing out sharply, she sat on the bed trembling.

"Professor, he's in good hands." Poppy said, checking the alignment of the bones. "Madam Pince said the children are safe, and hardly knew there was a battle going on at all."

"I should be with him." She said, fighting back her tears. "He needs me. Ginny can help-"

"Yes, Mrs. Potter can help me, and she is already hard at work, along with Luna and John Worthington." The Medi-witch said, gently pushing Ana back onto the hospital bed. "However, as the Medi-witch in charge of this Hospital Wing, it is my opinion that you are not fit to apparate in your condition."

Picking up a vial, she opened it, handing it to Ana.

"Drink it."

Ana held the vial, meeting her gaze coolly.

"Pain relieving potion?" Asked the Potions Mistress, raising the open vial to sniff of its contents.

"No." Poppy admitted. "You know what it has in it. Pain-relieving potion, with a quarter dose of Dreamless Sleep. Standard procedure for broken bones."

Ana frowned, eyeing the vial.

"You'll wake me if there's any news, and wake me in four hours regardless?" She asked, looking at Poppy again.

Poppy hesitated, and then nodded.

Ana drank half of the contents of the vial, and then replaced the stopper.

"A half dose should be enough." She said defiantly, putting it on the bedside table. "When I wake up, I'm going to my husband, after I check on my children. Don't forget to wake me up."

oOo

The ceiling was gray, the single light fixture far too bright for her eyes.

She blinked, shutting out the glare.

_I'm so thirsty_, she thought, squinting as she looked around the room.

_Where am I?_

_Why can't I turn my head?_

Rustling of paper nearby, then a metallic click.

"She's awake. Get in here." Said a woman off to her left, then another click. A phone handset being replaced, she realized.

The sound of a door opening, footsteps.

A Healer moved the lamp overhead, cutting down some of the glare. Two men and a woman leaned over her, one of the men wearing a business suit, the other man and the woman wearing the brown coat of Aurors.

"How are you feeling, Miss Parkinson?" The Healer said gently, running a wand over her.

"Thirsty." She heard herself rasp. _Merlin, is that my voice? I sound like a frog._

"What happened to me?" She asked uneasily. Her head and neck felt wrong; she was unable to move them.

"Miss Parkinson, you suffered a fracture of the vertebrae in your neck in a fall. C2, C3, and C4 were affected. You're presently in a halo device to prevent any unnecessary movement while you heal."

_Oh, Merlin_, Pansy thought._ Not only am I alive, but helpless as well._

"Can you feel this?" The Healer asked.

"Feel what?" Pansy said anxiously, frowning.

"I'm pricking the sole of your foot with a pin." The Healer said, looking over at the two Aurors and the man in the suit. "What about now?"

"I…I don't feel anything." Pansy whispered, now rather horrified.

_Oh, Merlin…_she thought, despair washing over her. _I'm paralyzed._

"That was the palm of your left hand." The Healer said, putting her pin in a case, and pocketing it. She gave the two Aurors and the other man a stern look. "Don't be stressing my patient, mind you. This is a hospital, not a gaol. If you upset her too much, you'll be escorted out."

The male Auror sighed, walking closer to the bed to loom over her. He was balding, with a graying fringe of hair and a moustache. The female Auror was pretty, but plain, with hazel eyes and brown hair cut fashionably short.

"Miss Parkinson, this is Auror Rovins, I'm Auror Bennett," The male Auror said, nodding toward the female Auror. "We need to ask you some questions, if you feel up to it. At this time, I am bound by law to caution you that anything you say can and will be used against you in court proceedings in the Wizengamot."

"As your Ministry-appointed counsel, I advise you not to answer." The man in the business suit said, shooting Auror Bennett a glare. "Benjamin Eccelstone, Barrister."

"I…don't think I've done anything wrong." Pansy whispered defensively, sinking deeper into despair. "I don't-"

_This is it. They're going to put me in Azkaban._

"Miss Parkinson, we just need to determine the facts." Auror Bennett said, interlacing his fingers. "We were left with a real mess to sort out, and very few witnesses."

"Are my friends okay?" Pansy said, wincing as pain shot through her neck. "What about Professors Snape, Ginny, and Neville?"

Auror Bennett looked at Ecclestone, then back at Pansy.

"I'm not at liberty to say, officially."

"For Merlin's sake, tell her, Bennett!" Ecclestone sighed irritably. "There's no harm in it, other than my client showing concern for her friends, and whatever that may do to your case against her."

Bennett sighed, nodding.

"Miss Parkinson, your friends are fine, save for some injuries." He said. "With the exception of Professor Snape and Professor Longbottom, all injuries were minor. Even Professor Romanov-Snape is in good health, as is her baby."

"Professor Snape and Neville?" Pansy said anxiously, "Will they be alright?"

"They are both expected to fully recover, Miss Parkinson."

"Where am I?" She said, dreading the answer.

"The secure wing at Bannonburk Hospital." Ecclestone said. "Officially, you are in custody, pending charges in the Wizengamot. I really must advise you not to speak any further."

"What am I charged with?" She said uneasily, not certain she wanted to know.

"Auror Rovins?" Sighed Auror Bennett.

"I have it right here." Rovins said, flipping open a folder. "Thirty-three counts, use of an unforgivable. One hundred twenty-nine counts, assault using magic. Three counts, conspiracy. Eleven counts, using magic to torture. Twenty-one counts, use of…"

Pansy closed her eyes, feeling nauseous as the Auror read off the charges against her.

oOo

April 15, 2005~

The door opened, but she kept her eyes tightly shut, praying that whoever it was would just leave, thinking her asleep. A muffled conversation, then the door opened and closed again; the new person had been a male. Who it was, didn't matter to her.

"Wake up, Miss Parkinson." Auror Rovins said gently, touching her on the cheek. "You have a visitor."

_So they weren't gone, after all_, she sighed inwardly. Another Auror to ask questions, or that lawyer, Ecclestone.

"Pansy, wake up." Said a familiar voice.

Opening her eyes, she saw Neville leaning over her, half the side of his head bandaged. The part that wasn't bandaged was heavily bruised. She felt tears springing to her eyes, blurring her vision to the point she could barely see him.

"You…" she said, and then choked on her words, unable to speak.

"It's going to be alright, Pansy." He said gently, smiling at her. "We'll get you out of this jam soon enough."

"I told you…" She sniffed, glowering at him as he wiped her face dry with a tissue, "…leave me…"

"Well, you know what a stupid fathead Gryffindor I am." He replied, grinning. "You saved us all with your little ploy. I must admit, you had me fooled too."

"It wasn't a ploy! I wasn't supposed to survive-"

"Funny how such things work out." Neville said, getting another tissue and wiping her nose. "Seems that Mickleson was hit by a stray hex, threw his aim off a bit. Unfortunately, the same hex hit close enough to you to knock you out cold…and it also-"

"I…stop wiping my face!" She raged impotently, still restrained by the frame encircling her head, preventing her from moving to avoid the tissue. "Leave me alone, damn you!"

"No, I won't." Neville said gently, wiping the fresh tears of frustration from her cheeks. "I'm not going to abandon you."

"Professor Snape-"

"He's fine. His wife is rather upset with him; I think when he gets out of hospital next month, he'll still be in the doghouse. Ginny is fine, too. You really saved her by using that entanglement spell so she couldn't do much to get involved."

"But…but I broke Professor Romanov-Snape's arm…"

"And, it's healed up well. She's not angry with you, Pansy, not after Severus woke up and told her what had happened. Stroke of genius, it was, on your part and Severus'. Harry is talking to the Minister on your behalf; given Severus' testimony, they are considering dropping the charges. Of course, it will be spun as a Ministry operation, but you don't mind, do you?"

"Beats Azkaban, I guess." She said softly.

"Indeed."

"Neville," She found herself sobbing, "I'm paralyzed. I can't feel anything-"

"Shush." He said gently, stroking her forehead, moving a wisp of hair out of her eyes. "I spoke with the Healer. While you may be paralyzed now, they think it's more your spinal cord swelling due to the injured vertebrae. They've repaired those, but now we have to wait until the swelling goes down to see what will happen."

"I'm frightened." She whispered, trembling. "I'm so scared."

"It's alright." Neville said softly. "I won't leave you, Pansy."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Author's notes:

So, an update…I will post 30 new chapters, and then consolidate them into one volume (which, due to the file system here at FF, will be classified as a chapter) when I post what would be the 31st chapter. I'm still getting used to publishing here at FF, and it's been a learning experience. Very frustrating at times, too.

There is plenty more to cover in the story. In my mind, I have things worked out for the next 20-30 years, and there's much to tell.


	9. Chapter 36 to 40

Chapter 36

April 16, 2005~

"Are you sick again, Mummy?"

Ana opened her eyes, shifting her head slightly on the pillows that she was propped up on as she lay on the couch.

"No, sweetheart." She smiled gently, reaching up to stroke her daughter's cheek. "The Healer said I needed to rest. Your sister isn't ready to be born yet, and mum's having some…problems. Nothing to worry about, but the Healer won't let me work. We're just being careful."

"So you're okay?"

"I'm fine, darling. Are you and Daddy finished making potions?"

Nina, now six years old, nodded her head.

"Yes, Mum." She grinned. "We made Sunburn Ointment, Vanishing Cream, and Pepper-Up Potion. Oh, and Daddy showed me how to slice flobberworms right. But he still won't let me use the knife."

"You did a lot this afternoon, then." Ana nodded. "Daddy is just being careful, dear. Knives cut fingers, too. What's Daddy doing now?"

"He had to go to the Ministry again." Nina frowned. "Why does he have to go to the Ministry so much? He always gets home too late to read to me."

Ana sighed, hugging her daughter as best she could, as she was lying down and Nina was half-sitting on the couch.

"Your Daddy is trying to fix something for Miss Pansy, Nina."

"Are they still trying to put Miss Pansy in Azks…Axeb-"

"Azkaban, dear." Ana sighed. "Yes, the Ministry is. They're not trying as hard now, but they haven't given up. The problem is, the parents of some of the students are still angry with her."

"It's not fair. She can't even walk." Nina frowned. "She's still in that frame thing in the hospital, Uncle Neville told me so. How can they put her in…Azkaban?"

"Because they want to, Nina. I agree with you, they shouldn't."

"I like her. They should stop being so mean to her."

oOo

May 20, 2005~

"You have a window now." Neville said, closing the door behind him. There was still an Auror posted at her room, but he was sitting in a chair, out in the hallway, and looked rather uninterested in whether she had a visitor.

"Yes." Pansy said softly, looking at the sky. Fluffy clouds drifted along, blocking out some of the sun, but not all.

"I brought you some things to help pass the time." He smiled, digging in the bag that he'd brought with him. "Some books and magazines, a Muggle thing that Hermione sent for you, she called it an Empty three player-"

"It's an MP3 player, Neville." She sighed, rolling her eyes. "It's a generic name for a Muggle device that plays files in MP3 format. Digital music."

"Um, right. I knew that." He said, blushing. "Anyway, I had Hermione load it with things you might like, some pop, some classical, some-"

"How can I work it, Neville? I can barely wiggle my fingers now."

He looked at her for a long moment, then at the MP3 player in his hand.

"Uh…right." He sighed awkwardly, setting it aside on the bedside table. "Sorry."

"Don't worry about it."

"Would you like me to read to you?" He asked, holding up a copy of The Daily Prophet, as well as a few magazines.

"If you wish." She said, closing her eyes. "I'd rather not hear anything from The Daily Prophet, if you don't mind."

"Alright." Neville nodded, setting the paper aside and picking up a magazine.

_I wish he'd just go away and leave me alone_, she thought. _I don't understand why he doesn't._

"You know, I think that Professor Snape still has a hands-free reading device that his father-in-law built for him while he was in hospital." Neville said, shifting uneasily. "You wouldn't have to listen to me read to you."

She thought about that for a moment.

"That might be helpful." She said.

oOo

July 11, 2005, 3 p.m. ~

"I'm glad that school is out for summer holiday." Ana sighed. "It makes me feel slightly less useless."

"Oh, don't be like that, dear." Madam Pince said, setting the tea service down on the coffee table and pouring them each a cup. "This is only temporary. You have one more month to go, and then we'll have Fiona to care for, just in time for the school year to begin."

"That should be fun. I really don't know what I'd do without you and the house elves to help us; it's been so crazy around here."

"Yes, but at least we don't have to worry about Death Eaters. For now."

"Indeed." Ana sighed. "I'd be happy if I never see one again."

Marcus was dozing on the magical play rug on the floor, and Nina was quietly filling in the outline of an elephant in a coloring book. Ana scooted up on the couch, propping herself up a bit more. Madam Pince handed her a cup of tea, then sat down in Severus' armchair.

The older woman took a sip of her tea, smiling as she watched Nina color. Slowly, her granddaughter's head came down to rest on her arm as she stifled a yawn.

"I think Nina may be getting a bit sleepy." She said, glancing over at Ana. Her eyes widened in alarm.

Her daughter-in-law was sitting upright on the couch; sweat beading on her forehead, her face pale. Her teacup lay on the floor, the tea pooling around it on the rug.

"Ana?" Madam Pince said, setting her cup and saucer aside. She got up and went over to the couch.

"Get…Severus." Ana said, gritting her teeth. "Now."

oOo

"What's going on?" Severus snapped, glowering at the Healer outside Labor &amp; Delivery.

"Professor Snape, your wife is fine, just a bit tired. You'll be able to go back to see her soon-"

"What about my daughter?"

"We're not sure yet, Sir." The Healer sighed nervously. "She's breathing on her own now, but-"

"She wasn't breathing?"

"No, Sir. Not at first. We're doing everything we can, Sir."

Snape rubbed his eyes wearily. It was three in the morning, and Fiona had been delivered some four hours ago.

"Can I go back and see my wife?" He asked.

"Of course. I don't think she's awake yet, but you can see her."

Hesitating, the Healer looked at him.

"Do you want to see your daughter?"

He nodded, and she beckoned to him, leading him to a door marked 'Neonatal ICU'.

"You'll need to scrub up, and don a sterile gown and gloves, Professor. She's very vulnerable to infections right now."

Without saying a word, he washed his hands with the iodine soap, donning the sterile gown and gloves after hanging his robes up.

"Right this way, Sir." The healer said, walking into the Neonatal ICU.

_Fiona Rozalina Snape_, the card said. It was taped to the side of the incubator, along with Healer's orders.

_Maintain 80-90% O__2__ level, alarm set at 70%._

_IV: D5W as required._

_Keep warm and clean, check diaper every 30 minutes._

_Parent Contact: Professor Severus Snape, Professor Ana Romanov-Snape._

He gazed down at her, taking it all in. So many tubes and wires, a heart monitor quietly beeping next to the tiny glassed in bed. She'd freed one of her hands, tiny slender fingers flexing as she fussed, half-grumbling to herself as she scanned her surroundings with dark gray eyes. A few wisps of fine jet-black hair protruded from under the knit cap on her head.

"Hello, trouble." Snape said softly, blinking back tears.

oOo

July 15, 2005~

"Calm down, dear." Severus said, pushing Ana along the hallway in the wheelchair.

"It's not right, Severus, and you know it." She grumbled. "You just wait till I can get to a floo, I'm going to singe Shacklebolt's ears good for this nonsense."

"It won't do any good, dear. It's out of his hands."

"The hell it is!"

Snape stopped the wheelchair and looked down at his wife.

"Ana, you may do more harm than good at this point." He sighed. "We're still negotiating with some of the parents, and a few of them are being stubborn. No matter what the end result was, a few families are unwilling to…forgive Pansy."

"So, who are they?" She snapped, glaring up at him. "I'll talk to them."

"Darling, I know you would set them straight. But, one thing at a time. We need to go visit Fiona, and you need to calm down."

Ana made a rude sound, turning her head away from him as he began to push the wheelchair down the corridor once again.

"I know that, Severus. It's not fair, though. The risk she took, coming to you-"

"It's just as well, dear." He sighed. "Besides, she's still in the hospital. Last I heard from Neville, she's still effectively paralyzed from the waist down. It appears that the cervical vertebrae were not the only ones affected in her fall."

"Oh, dear." Ana said. "So, what's going to happen with her?"

"She'll be in the hospital a while longer, I fear. They've started with physical therapy, but as it is, she only has recovered about 40% of her ability to move her arms. She's able to wiggle her toes a bit, but that's about it."

"How dreadful!"

"It's actually very good news, dear." He said, opening the outer door of the Neonatal ICU.

One of the Healers walked up to hold the door open for them, nodding to them with a friendly smile.

"Good morning, Professors." She said, helping them in. "She's doing very well. A fighter, that one. We weighed her this morning; she's gained nearly a whole pound!"

"Well, I have more for her." Ana smiled, pointing to the small cooler floating along behind Severus. "Any word yet on when she can come home?"

"Probably in a few weeks, we'll be able to move her to the regular nursery. After that, it will depend on how she does, but you might be able to take her home in as little as a month."

oOo

July 18, 2005~

"Hello, Pansy." Luna said brightly as she walked in.

"Luna…I-" She began, blushing.

"How are you feeling? I'm sorry I haven't visited you until now, but I've been dreadfully busy. Did you get our card, and the flowers?"

"Yes." Pansy said, glancing over at the flower in the vase that set on the window sill. "They're very pretty. Neville put a charm on them to keep them looking fresh."

"He told me that they might finally be taking your halo thing off soon." Luna said, standing next to the bed so Pansy could see her easily. "That's wonderful news."

"That's what they told me." Pansy said, lifting her arm off the bed a few inches. "See? I can move my arms, though my coordination is horrible…and I'm so weak."

"It's going to take a while for you to recover." Luna smiled, grasping her hand affectionately.

"Yes." Pansy sighed. "Is there any news on my charges?"

"Not yet. John, Harry, Severus, and Ana are hard at work, though. I imagine that Minister Shacklebolt is really dreading floo calls lately."

"I'm sure."

Luna stood there, silent next to her bed, humming softly.

"You didn't just come by to visit me, did you?" Pansy said, a bit of uneasiness in her voice.

"No."

Pansy swallowed, shutting her eyes tightly.

_I'm in for it now_, she thought.

"I am here," Luna said softly, "because you have been positively hateful to Neville. Now, he won't tell me what you said to him, because he's protecting you. But you will. And you're going to make it right with him, if you want a moment of peace from now on."

"But I didn't-"

"DON'T lie to me, Patsy." Luna hissed angrily. "Now, I've had about enough of comforting Neville every weekend after you hurt him. You are both dear friends of mine, but I've had enough of this. John and I have a daughter to raise, and I have classes to finish so I can graduate this fall."

"Luna, he…he doesn't need to visit me. I just told him not to."

"Well, for some reason, he insists on it."

"I have no idea why."

"Me, neither." Luna snapped, glaring down at her. "Except that I think he's in love with you."

Pansy's mouth gaped open in surprise.

"No…no way." She gasped, when she was able to speak. "If he is, he's a bigger fool than I thought he was. I can't even walk…and they won't say if I'll be able to, ever again."

"Well, that's what I think it is. Why else might he keep coming to visit you, when you are so mean to him?"

"Well, convince him to stop visiting, then." Pansy said irritably. "He's a wonderful person, very kind, very gentle, and a real catch for some lucky girl. I'm a cripple who may never see the outside of a hospital again, much less have anything resembling a normal life. He'll listen to you, Luna."

"Not if I won't tell him to stop. If anything, I'm going to encourage him."

"You-!" Pansy sputtered, flailing her arm weakly. "If I weren't in this contraption-"

"You wouldn't do a thing, Pansy." Luna said gently. "You really need to calm down. Now, I'm going from here to Hogwarts, to visit Ana and Severus. Their baby was born on the 11th, isn't that marvelous? They named her Fiona. That's a lovely name, don't you agree?"

"You'd better tell Neville not to come visit me." Pansy hissed weakly.

"Wouldn't dream of it, dear." Luna smiled. "I'd suggest you treat him nicer, as I don't like people abusing my friends. That's why I'm fighting to have those charges against you dismissed, you know. You're my friend."

"Please, Luna. Leave me alone." Pansy sobbed, tears abruptly springing up, streaming down her cheeks. "I don't deserve friends like you and Neville-"

"Hush, Pansy." Luna said gently, taking a tissue and carefully drying her tears. "Be glad that none of us get what we deserve, but better than we deserve. Let go of the past. You made mistakes, we all have. Move on with your life."

"I don't have a life now," Pansy said bitterly. "It's all gone. I'm helpless, unable to move. They're going to put me in Azkaban if I ever get out of the hospital-"

"Not if we can help it." Luna said, looking down at her. "And 'we' includes an awful lot of people."

oOo

July 22, 2005~

"Neville? Are you going to dinner?"

Startled, he looked up from his desk in the classroom he used to teach first-year potions to see Professor Romanov-Snape standing in the doorway.

"Oh…hello, Professor. Sorry." He said. Wiping his quill and putting it aside, he closed his notebook. "I was just…making my lesson plans for the fall term. Guess I lost track of time."

"You seem to do a lot of that lately." Ana observed, walking over to his desk. She picked up his quill, smoothing the vanes along its shaft.

"Um…yes, I know. Sorry, Professor."

"Thinking about Patsy, aren't you?"

Neville blushed, opening his mouth to speak, but nothing coming out.

"Walk with me to dinner, Neville." Ana said softly, turning toward the door. "Mother has already started that way with Marcus and Nina, and Severus is still at the Ministry, in a meeting."

"Um, alright, Professor."

As they walked toward the Great Hall from the dungeons, Neville looked over at her.

"Professor, have they made any more progress with Patsy's case?"

"Not much, Neville." Ana sighed. "A few parents are still rather upset about the Death Eater attack."

"Can you get me a list of their names?" Neville asked, his expression thoughtful. Ana stopped, and he stopped to look at her.

"Why, Neville," She smirked, crossing her arms across her chest and cocking an eyebrow, "What do you plan to do with such a list?"

"Oh, just make a few visits." He said innocently. "Make a few social calls, talk to a few people. See if my family name has any influence left."

"I'll get you a list." She smiled, continuing on toward the Great Hall. "It will be on your desk by morning."

oOo

July 31, 2005~

She was sitting up in bed, pillows propping her up, the Healers having turned her bed toward the window a bit more so she could at least look out into the garden. Little bandages dotted her head where the screws for the halo device had been; thankfully, that cursed thing was gone. Of course, now it seemed that she had a permanently stiff neck, something that was aggravated by the physical therapy, even though the therapist claimed that it would help.

The door opened, and she looked over at it to see Neville come in.

_Be nice_, she thought. _Remember what Luna said._

"Hello, Pansy." He smiled, bringing in a tote loaded with books. He'd brought the magical reader from Professor Snape two days ago, along with a few books for it and some magazines, and showed her how to work it. He'd even made a lanyard to secure her wand to her wrist, to help her keep track of it.

"Hello, Neville." She smiled, wincing at a pain in her neck. "I've enjoyed the reader, it is wonderful. Thank you for bringing it to me."

"Um, well, you're quite welcome." He said shyly, setting the tote down and stacking the books where she could see them on the bedside table. "I got the books you asked me to bring, plus a few more. Don't want you to be bored here."

"Oh, they keep me busy. Physical therapy takes up fully half of my day here. I really look forward to reading when it's over, but there are some days that I can barely keep my eyes open afterwards."

"I'm sure."

"But, look!" She smirked, pointing at her head, as best she could. "I'm no longer an angel. No more halo."

"I see that." He laughed, shaking his head at the bad joke. "I bet you feel better without the hardware."

"I do, but I still can't turn my head very well yet. Calcification in the vertebrae, stiff muscles, all things that they are tormenting me to fix in therapy."

"How much movement have you been able to recover?"

"Can't turn my head much because of the fractures…" She raised her right hand, mimicking a wand motion jerkily, and then raised her left hand, which trembled worse. "I'd say the right is about 70% recovered. Mr. Left Hand is a bit slower."

"Well, that's very good, I'd say." He said softly.

"My legs…" She shrugged. "I'm very good at wiggling my toes, but not much more."

He nodded, looking away from her.

"Neville, Luna told me what happened." Pansy said softly.

"Told you about what?" Neville said, startled.

"About you casting the hex that blew me off the ledge."

"I…she did?" He said, his eyes widening as he realized what she was talking about.

"She did." She said, looking at him steadily. "I don't blame you for it, it was just an accident. If you hadn't cast the hex at Mickleson when you did, I'd probably be dead."

"But it's my fault. I cast the hex, and I should have allowed for the likelihood that you might be knocked off your feet by the back blast-"

"No, Neville." She said sharply. "I don't want you blaming yourself. You couldn't have planned for it. As it was, you barely had enough time to cast it, let alone do it with the kind of precision needed to not harm me."

"All the same, I wish you wouldn't have been hurt so badly." He said quietly.

They sat in the room for a long moment, she lying propped up on the bed, he in a chair by the bed. Finally, she spoke again.

"Neville, I'm…I'm glad you came to see me again."

"I needed to bring that reader to you."

"No, that's not what I'm glad for." Pansy said, rubbing the numb fingers of her left hand. "I…I missed your company. I'm glad you came to visit me again."

"Well, I didn't want to come by too often-"

"No. No, please…come as often as you like." She said, blushing. "I…miss talking to you."

"I've missed you, too."

"Neville…about those times I was mean to you…"

"Not a problem."

"No, it is a problem." She said, closing her eyes in frustration. "I was mean to you in school because I was…well, you weren't in my house, and you were-"

"Fat." He smiled good-naturedly. "I had big old teeth, too, and I was clumsy and timid…"

"But you turned out to be brave, and sure of yourself, and…"

"I was still scared, even at the Battle of Hogwarts, Pansy. When I told Voldemort I wasn't going to join up with him, even being a pure-blood, I thought I would piss myself, I was so scared. And then there was going after Nagini with the Sword of Gryffindor…I did it, cut its head off, but afterwards my knees were shaking so bad I could hardly stand. Good thing there was plenty of fighting still going on, nobody noticed how scared I was."

She looked at her hands, frowning.

"I abandoned you then." Pansy said sadly, her cheeks coloring with shame. "I abandoned all of you, refusing to fight. We sided with the Dark Lord."

"Yes." He nodded. "But that's all in the past, Pansy."

She sat there silently, tears rolling down her face. She didn't even protest when he took a tissue and gently wiped them away.

"I don't hate you, Neville." She said softly, so faintly that he could hardly hear it.

"I know you don't hate me, Pansy." He said.

Someone knocked on the door, then opened it. In stepped Ecclestone, the lawyer, his dark eyes looking at Neville, then Pansy.

"Pardon me." He said, smiling thinly. "If I'm interrupting, I can come back later."

"No, it's alright, Sir." Pansy said, glad for the interruption.

_I nearly said something I might regret_, she thought. _Or Neville might have._

"I can leave, if I need to." Neville said, rising from his chair.

"No, Neville." She said, surprising herself. "I…I'd rather you stay. Mr. Ecclestone, this is my friend, Neville Longbottom. I don't mind if he's here for any discussion we have."

"Well, you may not be happy to see me after we talk." Ecclestone said, his face grave. "I was informed by the Ministry that all criminal charges against you have been dropped. You will not be prosecuted due to the 'extenuating circumstances' of the incident and your involvement."

"That's wonderful news!" Neville said, grinning at Pansy.

"I beg to differ, young man." The lawyer said with a sigh. "There are eighteen families that have filed civil suits against you and your estate for damages, citing 'unnecessary pain and suffering as a result of the actions of Pansy Parkinson.' I fear that we have some long days ahead of us, Miss Parkinson."

"My estate?" Pansy gasped. "I…I don't have an estate. It was seized by the Ministry after the Second Wizarding War-"

"While it may be in the hands of the Ministry, it is named in the suit, and as such is a target."

Pansy sat in her hospital bed, her face deathly pale, and her eyes on Ecclestone. Swallowing nervously, she took a deep breath, blowing it out to try to calm herself.

"Mr. Ecclestone, who is paying your retainer?" She asked softly, watching him carefully.

His eyes flicked to Neville, who was studying the floor, then back to hers.

_I should have known_, she thought, suddenly feeling quite weary.

"Several parties, who are interested in your case, have donated funds to retain me to represent you." Ecclestone sighed, pulling a chair up to her bedside to sit down. "I am quite well compensated for my work, I assure you."

"I have an estate." Pansy protested. "Surely I could pay you myself."

"Not while it is in Ministry hands, dear." He replied, opening his briefcase. "If it has any value at all, it will probably be sold to pay any civil judgments awarded. I'm sorry."

oOo

Ana sat on the couch in her sitting room, comfortably nestled into Severus's body, his arm around her shoulders. While the magical play rug still lay before the fireplace, Madam Pince had taken Marcus and Nina to visit Elizabeth in France, a 'mini-holiday' of sorts. Which was quite well timed, given their visitor, who had arrived just an hour before dinner.

"…and that's what the situation is." Neville finished, taking a sip of firewhisky. He'd been in such turmoil when he'd arrived via floo that Severus had immediately poured two fingers in a glass and handed it to him, virtually before Neville even brushed the ash from his robes.

"How dreadful." Ana said softly, looking at Severus.

"She has virtually nothing, and now they're going to try to take more away from her." He sighed irritably, swiping at his eyes with his free hand. "I swear, I…I figured that when the Ministry dropped the charges, it was over with-"

"I have some experience in these matters, Neville." Snape said quietly. "I lost a good bit of my fortune fighting civil suits following the War. At least I didn't have the additional burden of being paralyzed."

"Ecclestone, he's not going to quit, is he?" Ana asked. "With what we've given him as a retainer, it should be enough, surely."

"No, he said he's in it to the bitter end." Neville replied. "He even said he would write some of it off as _pro bono_ work, not charge us for it. But he did say he would need more help with it, clerks to help with the paperwork, and probably a few more lawyers to assist with the cases. It…he said it would take years to resolve."

"How is Patsy taking it?" Ana asked, eyeing how little firewhisky remained in Neville's glass.

"Not very well." Neville sighed, draining his glass. "She was really depressed about it when I left. I hated to leave her like that, but visiting hours were over with thirty minutes before I left her. I got scolded by the nurse for it."

"It's going to be a long, hard fight." Severus said, frowning. "Unless…"

"Unless what, dear?" Ana said warily. "What are you thinking?"

"Excuse me for a moment, dear." Severus said, getting up from the couch. "I need to make a few floo calls."

"But-"

Leaning down, he kissed her, and then nodded to Neville.

"You'd best get some rest, Neville. If I'm successful, we may be doing a lot of traveling over then few weeks we have left before fall term begins."

With that, he opened the door to the Potions Classroom, heading to his private study.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Author's notes:

_Pro bono_: legal term, meaning 'services rendered for free', often applied to volunteer work.

Chapter 37

August 7, 2005~

"A shame about her family, truly it was."

"Indeed." Severus said quietly, taking a sip of his firewhisky. They were sitting in a quiet corner of The Flaming Dragon, a pub in Coldingham that had seen better days.

"My own finances are a bit of a mess since the war, of course." Lucius Malfoy said, looking over at Snape. "Not that they were able to take all of what I have. Narcissa and I can still live comfortably, though we've had to cut a few corners. My investments are still making a good return."

"That's why I came to you. You managed to do well at avoiding seizure of all your assets. Unfortunately, Pansy's estate was seized almost immediately after the war, following the arrest of her mother and the death of her father."

"So, you come asking for donations, is that it?"

"Not really, though I'm sure they would be appreciated. Actually, what I'm more interested in is your financial and legal expertise. We retained Benjamin Ecclestone to represent her; I'm sure that you know him, at least by reputation."

"I do." Lucius nodded. "He's a sharp one. Had I been able to retain him, I might not have lost half that I did. You don't happen to have one of his cards, do you?"

"Yes, I do." Snape said, producing a business card and handing it to him. "So you'll help us?"

"I'll help Pansy, Severus." Lucius smiled thinly. "I remember her well, she had a crush on Draco, but then, most girls did. But she was one of the nicest ones, a very sweet girl. I'll do what I can to help her."

"I thank you on her behalf."

"Think nothing of it. By the way, how is your beautiful bride faring? Is her cancer still in remission?"

Severus gave him a sharp look, his dark eyes boring into Malfoy's.

"It was you, wasn't it?" He said softly, watching his former fellow Death Eater closely. "You were the 'anonymous donor' of the bone marrow."

"I beg your pardon?" Lucius smirked, draining his glass and rising to leave. "No, Severus, it wasn't me."

"However, you might thank Narcissa the next time you speak to her." He said, putting his hand on Severus' shoulder and squeezing it affectionately. "Do come visit us in our new home soon, Severus. Bring the wife and those adorable children of yours, too."

"I will." Severus said softly, watching as Lucius left the bar, leaning a bit more on his cane than he used to.

_We're all like that_, Severus thought, swirling the firewhiskey in his glass. _Whether the injuries are physical or mental, we're all walking wounded, thanks to that damned war._

oOo

August 20, 2005~

"The Lassiters? What's the situation with them?"

Neville scanned the files in the box, his brow furrowed in concentration, lips moving silently as he located the file. Pulling it out, he opened it, scanning the front page, where they were recording any changes.

"Spoke with them on the eleventh." He said, glancing over at Pansy and Ecclestone. "They told me they would be willing to settle out of court for 38,000 Galleons."

"Oh, Merlin." Pansy groaned.

"Pansy, it's better than what they were asking originally." Ecclestone said gently. "They were demanding 120,000 Galleons. I would recommend you accept their offer. "

"But the damage was easily reversed!"

"Pain and suffering, dear. You hexed their daughter Hilda, turned her into a water buffalo. A teenage girl doesn't live such a thing down easily. They stated that she was still in therapy to help her cope."

"I had to give the Death Eaters the impression that I was actually harming students!"

"We know, dear." Ecclestone sighed. "This is why I'm advising you to accept their offer, because if they take it to the courts, you're going to lose. While the Ministry has dropped the charges, they aren't willing to assume the legal burdens that would come of their acknowledging your help."

"Fine." Pansy sighed in defeat. "How much does that leave me, Neville?"

Neville did some figuring in a ledger, frowning as he punched in the number on the Muggle calculator.

"Um…about 340,000 Galleons." He said softly.

"Wonderful." She said bitterly, closing her eyes. "Only eight more lawsuits to go."

oOo

August 21, 2005~

"This is a very old watch." James Gryffon, sole proprietor of Gryffon Brothers Watch Shop, Raffles Street, Hogsmeade. His two other brothers, both older, had passed on, Silas of old age, while Elias was killed in the First Wizarding War.

Carefully, the old man took a slim tool that looked like a miniature prybar with a handle, removing the back from the watch. He picked up a magnifying glass and peered at the workings, his long fringe of gray hair obscuring his face.

"Magnificent." He breathed in wonder, examining the workings intently, paying no mind to the young man. Rubbing his balding head, he selected another magnifying glass and bent over the watch again.

"It was my Grandfather's." Neville said nervously, watching the old watchmaker look at the pocketwatch.

"Hm…yes, very nice workmanship." Gryffon mumbled under his breath, squinting at the tiny gears and levers inside it. "Don't see them like this anymore. Magical movement, never needs winding, keeps track of the phases of the moon and the tides…very nice. Very nice indeed."

"Yes, I know all of that."

"Just what did you need, young man?" Gryffon asked, looking up at Neville from his workbench. "It's in perfect condition, perhaps could use cleaning and oiling, but it's not that bad off."

"I'd like to sell it, if I can."

"Sell it?" The old man blinked in surprise. "My word, this is an heirloom. You don't want to keep it, pass it down to your children?"

"Um…no, Sir."

Gryffon sighed heavily, turning his attention to replacing the back on the watch.

"You young people these days…" He grumbled, half under his breath. When the back was secured, he handed the watch to Neville.

"Get out." He said rudely. "You have no appreciation for the finer things in life, young man."

Neville gaped at him for a moment.

"I…Sir, can I ask you something?" He said.

"I suppose," Gryffon sighed heavily, "but if you bother me much longer, you'd better buy something to make it worth your wasting my time. I do have a great deal of work to do."

"A watch like this, in this condition…what is it worth?"

The old man sighed, giving Neville an irritated look.

"Are you that determined to be rid of it?" He snapped. "Does it mean that little to you?"

"No…" Neville said miserably. "It's just…I need the money…a friend needs the money. Please, Sir…I've gone through most of my own liquid assets. All I have left is the family home and the estate, and this watch."

For a long moment, Gryffon stood in his shop, looking at Neville.

"So you need it to help a friend, do you?" He said quietly. "Why?"

"She…she's being sued. By several people. We're about 20,000 Galleons short of settling all of the suits out of court, Sir…"

"That watch is worth a lot, but it's not worth 20,000 Galleons, young man. She must be a very important friend."

"She is, Sir." Neville said.

"You're the new Potions Professor at Hogwarts, aren't you? Loginson?"

"Um, no, just an Assistant Professor, Sir. And it's Longbottom…Neville Longbottom."

"Oh." Gryffon said, squinting up at him. "So, Professor Romanov-Snape is still there, eh? Tell her that her order came in last week, would you?"

"Yes, Sir, I will. She's sort of my supervisor."

"Good, good." The old man muttered, and then peered up at Neville again. "Aren't you Augusta's Grandson?"

"Yes, Sir." Neville said nervously, fighting the impulse to look behind him. While his Grandmother didn't visit Hogsmeade often, the mere mention of her made him feel uneasy.

"And this is your Grandfather's watch." Gryffon said softly, gently tapping the pocket watch with a gnarled finger, a shrewd look in his eyes.

"Yes." Neville said softly, fighting the urge to run.

"Your Grandmother probably wouldn't like this." The old man said, walking back to his workbench and sitting down. "I can only imagine how desperate you are to help your friend if you are willing to risk incurring the wrath of Augusta Longbottom."

"Well, Sir," Neville said, putting the watch in his pocket and heading for the door, "I wish you a good day, Sir, and I'll just be going-"

"Stop!" Gryffon said, pulling out his wand. The locks clicked into place on the door, barring Neville's escape.

"I said that I wouldn't buy the watch, or help you sell it." The old man said gently, putting his wand away. "I didn't say that I wouldn't help you, Professor Longbottom."

oOo

August 27, 2005~

"That's all? You're sure?"

"Quite certain." Ecclestone said, closing his briefcase. "I hand delivered the last check this morning to the Moellers. I can't say that someone else won't come forth with another suit, but the suggestions made by Mr. Malfoy were most helpful."

Pansy sank back on the hospital bed, feeling utterly drained.

"Thank Merlin." She said softly.

"I'll let you know if anything new develops." The lawyer said. "I'll be staying on as your retained counsel for a while yet."

"But your fee-"

"Never mind that." He said, waving dismissively as he got up and headed to the door. "Let me know if anything new comes up."

"Of course. Thank you for everything, Mr. Ecclestone." Pansy said, feeling rather numb.

Once the door closed, she let out a sigh, sitting up as best she could in the bed.

"Well, how much money do I have left?" She asked Neville, who was slumped in a chair, exhausted. "Or rather, don't have?"

"I'd have to look at the ledger," He sighed, rubbing his eyes, "but I think you might have enough for dinner at a decent restaurant, perhaps two."

"Let's do that." She said, wincing as she turned her head to look at him. "Find someone who will deliver dinner here. For two."

For a moment, he just stared at her, blinking, as if he didn't believe his ears.

"Are you mad?" Neville finally sputtered, his face reddening. "You just signed a check for 46,000 Galleons! You've virtually nothing left, maybe a hundred Galleons at most."

"That's enough." She smiled. "Go find a floo you can use, arrange for dinner to be brought to my room. Oh, and candles. I want a candlelit dinner, just for you and me, because this ordeal is over."

"But you heard Ecclestone, there may be more lawsuits-"

"All the more reason to have a nice dinner together, isn't it?" She said, smiling at him again.

"I-"He began, and then nodded. "I guess you're right. Fifty, a hundred Galleons, it doesn't matter at this point, does it?"

"No, not really." Pansy said, closing her eyes. "They can't take what I don't have. I'd like to be happy for a little bit, at least for right now."

"I'll go find a floo." He said, getting up and heading to the door.

oOo

"Oh, Merlin." Pansy said, carefully putting her fork on her plate with a shaky hand. "That was so good. I can't eat another bite, though."

"I thought you might enjoy the Chicken Primavera from Manzetti's." Neville said, wiping his mouth with a napkin. "It was the first place I thought of. I'm a regular there, and they didn't mind delivering."

"Does this count as our first date?" She asked, her tone light and teasing.

Neville nearly choked as he took a sip of his wine, spilling half of his glass on his robes.

"Oh! I'm sorry, Neville!" Pansy said, feeling rather embarrassed. "I was only teasing you."

"Oh, it's alright." He said, taking out his wand and _vanishing_ the wine from his robes. "It's only wine."

"I don't think I should have had any wine at all, with my pain potions." Pansy observed. "I feel a little woozy right now."

"Well, it is getting rather late." Neville nodded, standing up and _vanishing_ the remains of the dinner. "I should go, so you can get your rest."

"Will you come see me tomorrow, Neville?" She asked shyly.

"Of course, if you want me to." He said, blushing. "I'll see you tomorrow, around four?"

"I'll be looking forward to it." Pansy said, smiling sleepily.

"Well, goodnight, Pansy."

"Goodnight, Neville."

oOo

September 17, 2005~

"I can't."

"Yes, you can." The Healer said gently, standing behind Pansy, her hands holding on to the handles of a belt strapped around her patient's waist. "You're doing very well with bearing your weight on your legs today. You're much stronger than you were two weeks ago."

"I just can't, I tell you." Pansy said, trembling with fear. "I fell the last time we tried."

"I'll help you, Pansy." Neville said gently. He'd taken off his robes and had rolled his shirtsleeves up, and stood in front of her, his arms ready to catch her if she fell.

Pansy looked up at him, her eyes pleading with him.

"Neville, I'm scared. I…I can't do this."

"It'll be alright, Pansy. I'll catch you if you fall, I promise."

Her knuckles were white; such was her grip on the two smooth wooden rails she stood between.

"I can't, Neville."

"Come on. It's like dancing." He said, holding his hands out to her. "You like to dance, right?"

"Is this some kind of joke?" She snapped, glaring at him.

"Of course not. I'll take you out dancing if you take just one step."

"I've seen you dance, Neville." Pansy said, stifling a giggle. "You're bloody awful."

"I swear, I've improved since the Christmas balls at Hogwarts, honest. Haven't broken anyone's toes in the last year or so, at least."

She swallowed nervously, looking down at her feet.

_Come on_, she thought. _Just one step. A baby step._

With a great effort, she leaned slightly to her left, biting her lip as she willed her right foot to slide forward.

"I'll catch you if you fall, Pansy." Neville said softly. "I won't let you down."

She glanced up at him, trembling.

"I know, Neville." Pansy said with a weak smile.

Turning her attention back to her uncooperative right foot, she gritted her teeth, concentrating on moving it.

_Just one step_, she thought to herself, perspiration beading on her forehead from the effort. _Just one step and I get to go dancing._

Her right foot slid along the floor, moving perhaps ten inches.

"You did it, Pansy!" Neville exclaimed, grinning widely.

"Hardly a step." She demurred, blushing.

"It's a start, Miss Parkinson." The healer said. "Let's try to move the left foot now."

oOo

June 2, 2006~

"Your credentials are most impressive, young lady." Headmistress McGonagall said, peering through her reading glasses at the parchments on the desk before her. "Master's degrees in both Transfiguration and Charms, with minors in Arithmancy and Potions. And you still graduated with honors, that's quite a feat."

"I had quite a bit of help." Luna said, smiling at John, who sat next to her in the Headmistress' office. Elizabeth sat on his lap, her fingers in her mouth as she looked around the room, fascinated by the moving portraits.

"What do you plan to do, Mr. Worthington?" Minerva said, taking her reading glasses off and closing the folder containing Luna's application.

"Well, I've been talking to someone here about the possibility of an assistant professor position, teaching DADA." He said, shifting Elizabeth so she was more on his right leg. "He said that with my experience in the field as an Auror, I would be well suited to teaching that subject."

"Do you need me to take her?" Luna asked softly, touching him on his forearm, her blue eyes dark with concern.

He shook his head.

"She's fine."

"Yes, Mr. Worthington," Minerva smirked. "I believe I've discussed such a thing with our…temporary DADA instructor, Professor Snape. How long will it be before you have your teaching certification?"

"I'll complete my classes this December."

"Hm. That does present some difficulties." The Headmistress sighed. "I'll have to see if the Board of Regents will waive the requirements. So long as it's only for an Assistant Professor position, it might be possible."

"Well, I'm still employed at the Ministry." He said, steadying Elizabeth as she dropped her head onto his chest as she gave a big yawn. "It's not like I can't commute to work from here while we wait for the Regents to decide."

"Pretty confident, aren't you, Mr. Worthington?" Minerva smiled.

"Professor Snape is very persuasive, Ma'am." He said, feeling Elizabeth slowly go limp as she fell asleep. Carefully, he brushed a few of her unruly auburn curls out of his face, where they had been tickling his nose.

"Well, as far as I'm concerned, you're both hired." The Headmistress said. "We'll have to wait to make your appointment official, Mr. Worthington, but Miss Lovegood can start right away. I'm looking forward to having some relief from teaching Transfiguration."

"Thank you, Headmistress." Luna said, beaming. "I can hardly wait."

Minerva smiled fondly at Elizabeth, by now drooling slightly on John's dress robes, her thumb in her mouth.

"I'll arrange for rooms to be prepared for you." The Headmistress said softly, getting back to business. "Will the standard accommodations for instructors be sufficient? Two bedrooms, a kitchen, a sitting room, and a study?"

"Of course, Headmistress." John nodded. "We can share a study."

"I must ask, to satisfy my own curiosity…do you plan to marry?"

Luna blushed scarlet.

"Headmistress, I have proposed, and she has asked me to wait." John said. "But she hasn't said no."

"I…I don't feel it's time yet, Headmistress." Luna said hesitantly. "Is that going to be a problem?"

"No, I see no problem with it." Minerva said, smiling gently at Luna. "Most of the students probably won't even notice that you two aren't married, and they'll be too busy to care. They will probably assume that you are."

oOo

July 10, 2006~

"Well, that's the last of it." John said, allowing the box to gently float to the floor in the kitchen.

"How are you feeling?" Luna asked, stacking dishes in the cupboard. "You haven't worn yourself out again, have you? Do you need a pain potion?"

"I'm fine, dear." He sighed, rubbing his leg. "It's not like I'm carrying anything. I'm just floating the boxes up here with _levitation_."

"Well, you are doing all of the walking here and at the apartment," she pointed out. "Along with the apparating to bring our things here. I don't want you to wear yourself out. You forget that you have limitations, dear."

"Where's Elizabeth?" He said, looking around the sitting room.

"She's down at the Snape's, playing with Nina and Marcus." Luna replied, coming up behind him to slide her arms around him. "Madam Pince's daycare, the best at Hogwarts."

"Are you sure she's not a problem?" He frowned. "I don't want to wear out our welcome with them."

"She's not a problem. In fact, Madam Pince flooed me this morning, asked if Elizabeth could come over to play. Nina's been bugging her for a week about it, when we could get here, when we would get moved in…when Elizabeth could come over."

"Well, I'm glad that she already has some friends." John smiled, covering her hands with his own. "She needs someone to play with."

"That reminds me." Luna said, giving him a flirtatious smirk, her blue eyes twinkling. "You need to accompany me to our bedroom. Elizabeth won't be back until dinnertime, and mum wants to play a bit, too."

oOo

August 15, 2006~

"Well?" Severus said as John walked up to him in the hallway near the Great Hall.

"I've done it." He sighed. "I've resigned from my job at the Ministry. I'll miss my friends that I worked with, but not the Ministry."

"You won't regret this, John." Snape said as they walked toward the doorway that led to the garden. "I spoke with the Headmistress; she told me that the Board of Regents has already approved hiring you as an Associate Professor to teach DADA."

"Because they want you out of the DADA classroom." John said bitterly. "You're just as qualified as I am to teach the subject, probably more so. The fools can't see past their own prejudices against you."

"Oh, don't fret about it, John." Severus smirked. "I'm used to it. There are still many who despise me, and I really could care less about their opinions."

John shook his head, breathing out a sigh of disgust.

"Well, their opinions are wrong."

"Perhaps, but they do have a right to hold them." Snape said softly. "By the way, will the salary offered be adequate?"

"Of course, combined with Luna's salary…and my medical pension."

"The Ministry gave you a pension?"

"Yes, not a bad one, either." John said, leaning against the stone wall. "I guess someone at the Ministry felt guilty about what happened to me."

"Shacklebolt?" Severus said.

"Probably. I'm sure there were others."

They stood there for a long time, just looking at each other.

"Severus…" John said softly, "Thank you. You saved my life."

"I did very little to help-"

"You got me out of there, Severus."

"You would have done the same for me, John." Snape replied, crossing his arms. "As a matter of fact, you did, several times. Think of it as my paying you back, if only a little, for all the times you rescued me."

"I guess so." John nodded. "Well, I suppose I should get up to my rooms, tell Luna the good news."

"Indeed." Severus smirked. "Has she changed her mind about marriage yet?"

"Not yet." John shrugged, leaning on his cane. "I suspect that she wants to wait until Elizabeth can be the flower girl."

"Well, that would be ideal. Marcus could be the ring bearer."

"Only if they don't fight." John sighed. "How is Marcus doing, is he alright?"

"Still has a black eye, though it's fading. For a four year old, Elizabeth is a scrappy girl."

John sighed again, rubbing his eyes.

"I'm sorry, Severus." He said. "Luna and I have both talked to her about it, but she's so stubborn-"

"Don't fret about it, John. I'm sure things will work out with time. Marcus brings much of it on himself by teasing her."

"But Nina and Elizabeth get along so well."

"The problem is, I believe, that Marcus is jealous." Snape said. "Nina and Elizabeth will be playing together, quiet as can be, and then Marcus comes along to cause trouble. Ana tries to keep them separated, but somehow he always manages to get Elizabeth's attention, usually in a bad way."

"Speaking of Ana, how is she doing?" John asked. "Her cancer, is it still in remission?"

"Apparently so." Severus said softly. "The last visit to the Oncologist was three months ago. He doesn't want her to come back for a year."

"That's wonderful."

"It has been quite a relief." Severus nodded. "It appears that I will enjoy a few more years with my wife. I intend to make the most of them."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 38

August 28, 2006~

"John?"

He jumped slightly in spite of himself, spilling some of his firewhiskey. As he held one hand to his chest, trying to calm his racing heart, Luna walked into their sitting room to sit beside him on the couch. She had a blanket wrapped around her, and she was shivering as she tucked her bare feet up underneath her.

"Sorry." He said softly.

"It's okay." Luna said, moving closer to him as he put his arm around her. "Bad dreams again?"

Hesitating, he nodded, and then took another sip of firewhiskey.

"How's Elizabeth?"

"Sleeping." He said, running his thumb along the rim of the glass. "I looked in on her just a few minutes ago, before I came out here."

"Was it the dream with her in it?" Luna asked anxiously.

"No." He sighed, shuddering a bit. "Not that one. It was…it was the one…where they had me…just before they started..."

It lay unsaid between them, who 'they' were, and what 'they' had done to him. Luna had heard it before, any number of times that she'd held him, shushing him like a child with a nightmare. Holding her husband, his body trembling with fear, as he suffered the memories of being tormented with Fiendfyre, of his leg slowly being flayed of its skin. His tears of shame and terror soaking her nightgown as she hugged him, kissed him, comforted him.

_I will be his refuge_, Luna thought to herself, not for the first time, nor for the last. _I will heal him, no matter how long it takes me. For our sake, and the sake of our children._

"You should wake me up when you can't sleep." She said, hugging him gently. "I don't mind comforting you."

"One of us needs to sleep well."

"We both need to start teaching next week, John." She sighed into his chest, tapping on in with a finger. "It's two in the morning. Why don't you take some Dreamless Sleep?"

He shook his head.

"I take enough to sleep, I can hardly function the next day."

"So come back to bed with me." She whispered. "Just take a little bit, perhaps?"

"I can't, Luna." He said, shaking his head. "I won't have you hurt again. I can't-"

"Now, none of that, John." She said, tilting his head down gently so she could kiss him. "You were asleep, in the grip of a nightmare. I shouldn't have startled you like I did."

"I hurt you." He said miserably, his eyes filling with tears as he reached up to touch the remnants of the bruise on her face. "I can't stand that, I can't risk it again-"

"What bruise?" She said softly. Raising her hand, she made a slight motion with her fingers, reapplying a glamour to hide the bruise. He frowned at her, shaking his head.

"John, don't. You were in the clutches of a nightmare, and silly romantic that I am, I tried to console you without waking you. I took a risk, and I paid for it. I don't blame you."

"But I hurt you."

"I'm fine, John." She said gently, getting up and tugging on his hand. "I know that you didn't do it on purpose. Come on, let's go back to bed."

He hesitated, and then nodded, rising from the couch to follow her.

oOo

January 3, 2007~

"So there's nothing I can do to change your mind?" Headmistress McGonagall sighed, leaning back in her chair.

"No." Severus said softly. "I shall miss Hogwarts, but I think it's time I moved on."

"Would you consider staying on as an Associate Professor of DADA?"

"No. Minerva, please don't insult me with such a suggestion. It would be a step down for me, and we both know that the regents, as well as a good number of parents, want me gone."

"Severus, that isn't true." Minerva said, wiping away a tear. "You've done so much for the students, and for Hogwarts-"

"And I've also done much to them." Snape sighed, rubbing his eyes wearily. "Minerva, I have my business interests to look after. The apothecary supply house is going quite well, but demands more and more attention every day, as does my new Potions shop in Hogsmeade. I have three children whom I adore, and a loving wife who would prefer not to see me work myself into an early grave."

"Do you really think John is ready to take over as DADA Professor?"

"Of course, Headmistress. Having him attain his degree, well, that was just to satisfy the requirements set forth by the Board of Regents. We both know from watching John duel that he could fight rings around most of those blithering windbags on the Board."

"When would you be leaving us?"

"Not for a while. I plan to finish this term out, and then resign. I'll still be living here with Ana and the children, as long as she is Potions Professor."

"Then you'll be here at Hogwarts a long time, Professor Snape." Minerva smiled. "Ana will have a job here as long as I'm Headmistress."

"We appreciate that."

Minerva sat quietly, watching him.

"I'm glad I invited her to teach here while you were in a coma." The Headmistress said softly. "She saved you, Severus."

He studied his feet for a moment, frowning, and then nodded.

"She did." He said softly, looking back up at her. "She certainly did. John saved my life, treated my wounds, got me to the Hospital wing…but Ana gave me a reason to go on living. And she came to Hogwarts because you asked her to come teach."

"I deserve little credit for your recovery," Minerva said, wrapping her shawl more snugly around herself. "I had no idea that you two had…how should I put it? A history together."

oOo

February 8, 2008~

"You wanted to see me, Headmistress?"

Minerva turned away from the window to see John Worthington in the doorway of her office.

"Yes, John." She said, waving to a chair. "Have a seat."

"Thank you, Headmistress." He said, seating himself and leaning his cane against his leg.

"I suppose Severus has spoken with you already, as thick as you two are."

"He has." John sighed, rubbing his left thigh absently. "For what it's worth, I tried to talk him out of it."

"Yet he is determined to quit."

"Well, he's had enough, I suppose. He actually told me that he'd miss the children most. Funny how that is; I suppose having children of his own made him like them more."

"Perhaps." Minerva nodded, and then sighed. "I suppose there's no point in putting it off any longer. John, I'd like to offer you the position of DADA professor, beginning with the fall term. Do you accept?"

"Of course, Headmistress. I am at your service."

oOo

March 26, 2008~

"Come in!" Pansy called out in response to the knock on her door. She was sitting in her wheelchair, with a box of books, sorting through them and putting them on the shelves with her wand.

"Hi, Pansy!" Luna said cheerfully, coming into the sitting room.

"Hi, Luna." Pansy replied, unable to keep her disappointment off her face completely.

"You don't seem that glad to see me." Her friend said, frowning. "Is it because I'm not Neville?"

Pansy blushed crimson.

"I knew it!" Luna smirked, sitting down on the couch.

"He's a friend, that's all. A very good friend."

"Of course." Luna nodded. "A very good friend."

Pansy shot her an irritated glare, and then busied herself with sorting through the books.

"I heard your 'good friend' took you to dinner at Manzetti's." Luna said casually, picking up a copy of Moore's Detailed Taxonomy of Scottish Lichens and leafing through it. "Well, actually, I saw you two there. John and I were there, over in the corner near the back."

"Well, why didn't you say hello?" Pansy huffed.

"Because …well, I wanted to see how things were going for you, and you seemed so happy that I didn't want to interrupt-"

"You were spying on me!" Pansy snapped irritably. "You used _disillusionment_, didn't you?"

Luna rolled her eyes, sighing heavily.

"I was spying on you, that much is true." She said. "It wasn't difficult, and I didn't have to disillusion us, because you only had eyes for Neville. It's not like I was doing it out of malice. It's just that I care about both of you very much, and you are my friends, both of you. You've had so much unhappiness in your life, and it makes me happy to see you finally having some happiness."

"I'm sorry, Luna." Pansy sighed, rubbing her temples. "It's…I'm just all out of sorts lately. What with therapy, and moving back to Hogwarts, and moving my things into these new quarters-"

"Don't worry about it, Pansy." Luna smiled gently, patting her hand. "We all have our bad days."

"Don't we though."

"So, how are things going with Neville?"

"Luna, stop it." Pansy huffed, blushing. "There are no 'things' going."

"It doesn't matter, so long as both of you are happy." Luna said cheerfully.

"Luna, there's nothing to it. We had dinner together a few times, that's all. I'm very grateful to him for his help with the lawsuits, and for encouraging me since the…attack. There's nothing more to it than us just being friends."

"Of course, Pansy." Luna said, rising from her seat on the couch. "Well, I'd best be off. Lots of essays to grade before tomorrow."

"I'm sure." Pansy nodded, her fingers idly running along the spine of an old book as she watched her friend leave, the door closing with a soft _thunk_ behind her.

_Friends_. She thought bitterly. _As if I could hope for anything more than that with anyone now._

_I'm a cripple, pretty much useless from the waist down._

_Neville is a good man, a good friend. He deserves better than me._

_I can hardly walk at all._

_I live in fear of another lawsuit. One more could take what little I have left. I won't let someone else live with that liability._

"I wish…I wish I could turn back time, go back and right the wrongs I've done." Pansy whispered half to herself in the quiet sitting room, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I've hurt so many people, just because of my pride, or my vanity…my arrogance…"

Dropping the book, she put her face in her hands and wept.

oOo

"Hello, Neville."

He jumped in spite of himself, cursing his instinctive flinch upon hearing the familiar voice. Casting a _stasis_ charm on the bubbling cauldron of Pepper-Up potion, he turned to face the woman standing in the doorway of his potions lab.

"Good Morning, Grandmother." He smiled, though his voice was still a bit unsteady. "How was Bermuda?"

"Dreadful." Augusta Longbottom sighed irritably, walking over to his desk and sitting down in his chair.

"Would you like some tea?" Neville asked, taking his apron off.

"No. I have heard some rather disturbing rumors about you, Neville." She frowned. "That you've been begging for money. Do they not pay you to teach here?"

"I…well…"

"Come on, lad, I haven't got all day!"

"Good morning, Augusta." Severus said smoothly as he walked in, nodding genially to Neville. "What a…surprise to find you here."

The old woman glared up at the former Potions professor.

"This happens to be a private conversation, Professor Snape!" She growled. "I don't recall inviting you, and for that matter, why are you even here? You no longer teach here."

"I am still a Professor Emeritus," Snape smirked, "and my wife happens to be Neville's direct supervisor, Augusta. We happen to live right next door, and as she was busy with our youngest daughter, she asked me to see what all the commotion was about."

"Well, now that you know, get out!"

"Severus, what on earth-" Ana said, walking into the Potions lab carrying Fiona. Their daughter was wrapped up in a blanket, but had wriggled one hand free and was busy undoing her mother's French braid on one side. Ana winced as Fiona tugged on her auburn hair.

"So this is the new Potions Mistress?" Augusta scoffed. "She seems rather unprofessional to me."

Ana's expression shifted instantly from one of surprise to a rather predatory smile, her lips thinning and her gray eyes narrowing.

"You must be Augusta Longbottom." She said softly, her voice cold as she walked over to them.

"Severus?" She said, turning to her husband. "Would you mind taking Fiona for me?"

"Are you sure you won't need me?" He said, as his wife handed him their daughter.

"I'm certain." Ana said, folding her arms across her chest and glaring back at Neville's grandmother. "Nina was asking if you could help her with her homework, dear. This won't take long."

Severus nodded, and then walked out of the lab into their quarters.

"Mrs. Longbottom, I am Anastasiya Romanov-Snape." Ana said politely, walking over to the desk. "Neville is my Assistant Professor, and is responsible for teaching first and second year basic Potions. Anything that concerns him is a matter of concern to me. My husband and I are quite fond of Neville-"

"Stow it, missy." Augusta snapped. "I'm here to find out why my grandson was spotted in Hogsmeade trying to sell his grandfather's pocket watch."

"Missy?" Ana fumed, her cheeks turning scarlet.

"Oh, dear." Neville said, his eyes widening.

"What on earth are you spending so much money on, Neville?" Augusta went on, blissfully unaware of the impending explosion. "Is it firewhisky? Butterbeer? A girl, I bet that's what it is. You've gotten hooked up with some bloody tramp and she's living off you, that's what it is!"

"She's not a tramp, Grandmother!" Neville snapped suddenly, taking both women by surprise. "Pansy is a good friend, a member of a good family that fell on hard times! She lost everything in the last Wizarding War, even her family!"

"Neville!" Augusta shouted, her face white with shock as she got up from the chair.

"Be quiet and let me explain, Grandmother." He said, pointing his finger at her. Ana started to speak, and then thought better of it.

"But-"

"_Accio_ wand." Neville said, catching Augusta's wand when it leaped to his hand. "Grandmother, I'm not a child any more. I'll cast _Langlock_ if I need to in order to explain the situation to you."

Her jaw working furiously, her face beet red, Augusta Longbottom sat down, glaring at her grandson the entire time. Neville drew a deep breath and began his tale.

"Professor Romanov-Snape and I were in Hogsmeade shopping one weekend." He said. "We heard a commotion, people shouting 'thief' and 'catch her'. After we…created a distraction, we pursued the woman and caught her. It was Pansy Parkinson, a classmate from Hogwarts. There was a…accident, and she hit her head….and well, we couldn't just leave her in the alley. It was cold, and threatening to snow again, so we brought her back here to Hogwarts."

He paused for a moment, looking at the two women. Ana nodded to him to go on.

"We nursed her back to health, tried to help her…" He sighed, thinking about how to phrase the ugly truths of the matter. "She…she wasn't what she seemed. She was in league with the remaining Death Eaters, led by Rudolphus Lestrange."

"I knew it!" Augusta snapped, making to rise from the chair, only to have Ana's left hand come down on her shoulder, forcing her to sit. Glaring at the younger woman, she attempted to get up again, only to gasp painfully as the Potions Professor tightened her grip.

"Mrs. Longbottom, I crack walnuts quite easily with this hand." Ana said softly. "I'm also quite good at casting body-bind, along with many other spells wandlessly…and did I mention that while I was in school, I was one of the best on the Durmstang dueling team?"

The older woman shot Ana a venomous glare, but remained seated, her mouth in a tight frown.

"But that wasn't what it seemed, either, Grandmother." Neville continued. "She…the Death Eaters told her that they were holding her mother hostage, that they would kill her if Pansy didn't cooperate. She didn't dare go to the authorities, so she went to Professor Snape and confessed the plot, a month before the attack. He came up with a plan to foil it, with her help, and that's how we managed to prevail against their assault last year.

"But it the suffering wasn't over for her." He said. "As it turned out, a hex I cast at one of the Death Eaters who was trying to kill her after she killed Lestrange…it knocked her off the pile of rubble she was standing on. She fell eight feet, landing on the side of her head, breaking…she fractured several vertebrae in her neck and lower back."

He paused to get his hanky and dab at his eyes, breathing out an exhausted sigh.

"I felt responsible for it." He said, swallowing as he looked over at his grandmother. "She still can't walk very well yet. She's confined to a wheelchair, for the most part. With all that, while she was in hospital, she was under Ministry custody, pending charges that were later dropped…then was sued by several families because of the attack on the school, and what she did during it, just to deceive the Death Eaters.

"After all of that, she finally learned of her mother's death, some four months ago, that Lestrange had deceived her with the false hope that her mother was still alive. She hasn't got a knut left to her name, not after the lawsuits. We spent over 420,000 Galleons settling them out of court, as we didn't dare go to court, not with the Ministry refusing to acknowledge any responsibility.

"It's true; I did go to Gryffon's to sell Grandfather's watch." He paused, his cheeks reddening in shame. "I was desperate. I-"

"Neville." His grandmother said softly. "Did you think that I would not have helped you, had I known?"

"I was afraid you'd be angry with me." He said.

"You're a Longbottom, and a Gryffindor at that," She snapped, then paused. "I'm sorry, Neville. I…I've always been rather direct with you. I can see that you might believe I'm angry. But I could never be angry at you for helping someone in need."

With a deep sigh, Augusta turned to look at Ana.

"I suppose that you were involved in this, as well." She said, more a statement of fact than a question.

"I was, as was my husband." Ana nodded. "But I had no idea that Pansy was running short of money to settle the lawsuits. Neville, you should have said something to us about it to us."

"He didn't say anything to you?" Augusta said, looking sharply at Neville.

"Not a word." Ana said, raising an eyebrow at Neville. "Neither he nor Pansy said a thing about it. Neville, we can't help you if we don't know you need help. Severus and I would have been happy to assist Pansy."

"Well, we…I mean, she didn't want to ask for help." Neville said nervously, wadding up his hanky and sticking it in his pocket.

"We?" His grandmother said with a smirk.

"Yes, WE." Neville said, his nervousness vanishing. "I helped her because she…she needed it. As time has passed, we've become close. Nothing more than friendship, mind you."

He tried not to look at Professor Romanov-Snape, who was smirking behind his grandmother, as if she knew a secret.

oOo

May 2, 2008~

"Luna?" John said, knocking on the bathroom door. "Are you okay?"

The toilet flushed, then water running in the sink. Shuffling footsteps approached the door, and then it opened. She sniffled, wiping at her eyes with the sleeve of her bathrobe, and then slid her arms around him, laying her head on his chest with a heavy sigh.

He put his arms around her, hugging her gently, closing his eyes and breathing in the fresh scent of her hair.

"Honey, are you feeling okay? I heard you being sick-"

"I've messed up, John." She sniffed, looking up at him, tears welling up in her blue eyes. "I'm pregnant again. I was so careful, I thought I cast the charm right every time before-"

"Oh, don't fret about it so, dear."

"You're not angry?"

"Why would I be angry, darling?" He said, giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead. "These things happen, you know. Do you know how far along you are?"

Luna thought about it a moment, then held up three fingers.

"Two, three months, I think. I'm pretty sure I've missed three periods." She sighed, burying her face in his chest again. "I swear, I was being careful-"

"No sense in worrying about it." He said, patting her back lovingly. "At least I have plenty of time to reconfigure our living quarters, put in a nursery. It'll keep me out of trouble this summer."

Luna looked up at him, tears shining in her eyes, and sniffed, a smile playing on her lips.

"I love you, John." She said, rising on tiptoe to kiss him.

oOo

June 22, 2008~

Pansy was sitting in the garden in her wheelchair, idly watching the ducks swim along, several of them with ducklings paddling along behind. It was better than sitting in her room, and there were hardly any students around to bother her, most having left for the summer holidays. A slight crunching of gravel on the path warned her that she was no longer alone. With a sigh, she turned to see who was coming down the path.

It was Luna's husband, John Worthington, limping along on his cane.

_I forgot that he often takes a walk this time of day_, she thought with a sigh. _Perhaps he'll just pass by. I'm not in a mood for conversation._

"Good morning, Miss Parkinson." John said as he came nearer, veering toward a bench along the path.

"Good morning, Professor Worthingon." Pansy said politely, though inside she was rather irritated. "Out for your walk?"

"Yes, I am." He said, sitting down on the bench with a sigh of relief. "Two miles, only another two to go. But if I don't sit and rest now, my leg gets to cramping up something fierce before I go another mile."

_Looks like I have to be social_, Pansy sighed inwardly.

"At least you can walk." She said sourly, regretting it almost immediately. "I mean, you can get out and…well, I-"

He smiled at her indulgently.

"It's not much, my walking." He said softly. "I do what I can, within my limitations. On average, I have to rest pretty often. Some days, I have to just sit down wherever I stop, and use _levitation_ to get back up. Are you still doing therapy?"

She nodded.

"It'll take a while. Don't give up." He said.

"What do you know of it?" Pansy snapped irritably.

"Plenty." John said calmly. "You fell off a pile of rubble, fracturing several vertebrae. I was tortured for two months with _cruciatus_ and Fiendfyre, and nearly lost my leg as well as my mind. I'm not saying that our experiences are the same, but we do have one thing in common, which is a recovery that is long and difficult."

"Luna sent you out here to talk to me, didn't she?" She said.

"Actually, she didn't. You've seen me out here walking every day, about this time, anyway."

She gave a quiet snort of disbelief, turning away from him.

"You're making a huge mistake, though." John said. "You are allowing your disability to limit what you can do. Luna tells me that in therapy, they have you walking with crutches and leg braces. Why aren't you using them?"

"Because I'll fall!" Pansy snapped, unlocking the wheel brakes on her wheelchair and rolling it away from him.

Or, at least she tried to roll away, as it seemed that the wheels wouldn't turn.

She turned back to glare at him silently as he put his wand away.

"Now, where were we?" John said casually, "Oh, and don't bother trying to hex me."

"You can't keep me here."

"It's quite rude to leave like that, especially when I'm trying to help you."

"So she did put you up to this."

"No. I've already told you that she didn't." John said, crossing his arms across his broad chest. "In case you may have forgotten, I was an Auror, and spent many years doing investigations. It's not hard to deduce what's going on with you. I felt the same way when…when I woke up in hospital."

"Felt like what?"

"Hopeless. Crippled. Unworthy." He said softly, taking a deep breath and blowing it out in a sigh. "Luna…she was to me much like Neville is to you. She came to visit me in hospital, again and again, even though I tried my best to shoo her away. I was hateful and vicious to her…but she never gave up on me."

"Neville deserves better than me." Pansy spat, her chin trembling. "I'm useless to him. At least you can work; you can help support your family."

"He does, but he wants you. I can tell from talking to him." John nodded, watching her carefully. "I know that you've told Luna that he's just a friend. But doesn't Neville have the right to decide for himself if he wants to be with you? And how can you say that you can't support yourself?"

"I can't be anything more than a friend to him!" She said miserably, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'd only be a burden. I don't even know-"

She stopped herself, blushing fiercely.

_That was close_, she thought. _I almost said it aloud._

_I don't know if I can even have children now. Neville deserves children; he would be such a good father._

_I want-_

Abruptly she choked off the thought, stifling a sob.

_It doesn't matter what I want. I don't deserve him_, she reminded herself fiercely. _ I'm lucky to be alive at all._

"He shouldn't have to put up with me." She said, swiping tears away with her hand. "I'd be nothing more than a burden to him."

"That's what I thought too, that I'd only be a burden to Luna." John said gently. "But she persisted, and that's the best thing that ever happened to me. She gave me hope."

Taking out his wand, he removed the _stasis_ charm on her wheelchair.

"You're free to go." He said, tucking his wand away. "Think about what we've discussed. Luna and I are willing to talk to you, to help you, any time you need us. Don't dismiss Neville as 'only a friend', though. He could be more than that, but he's waiting for you to decide. He won't force you…but remember, he won't wait forever. He shouldn't have to, either."

Pansy sat there next to him, her chin trembling, and her eyes downcast.

"He's good for you, Pansy." John said gently. "Give him a chance. Please."

Abruptly, she fled, as best she could, blindly rolling her wheelchair down the path toward the castle. She didn't stop until she reached her room, where she bolted the door securely, nearly falling out of her wheelchair in her haste.

Grabbing a porcelain unicorn from the bookcase, she flung it with all of her strength at the fireplace, where it exploded in a shower of china fragments. Pansy slumped in her chair, weeping bitterly.

"He's good for me." She muttered, between sobs. "But I'll never be worthy of him."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 39

June 28, 2008~

He was sitting in his armchair, reading The Daily Prophet, when she came in after putting their daughter to bed. He could feel her glaring at him as she passed by; he didn't need to look up. She sat down at the far end of the couch, as far as she could possibly get from him.

He glanced over at her, and she turned her head, picking up a copy of Transfiguration Journal and setting her tea aside to cool. Flipping through the pages of the magazine, she settled on an article to read, her blue eyes scanning the print rapidly.

_Well, at least she didn't throw her tea at me_, John sighed.

"Are you ever going to talk to me?" He asked, half-dreading the answer.

"There's nothing to say." Luna snapped.

"Alright, then." He sighed. "You know, that would make more sense if it wasn't upside down."

With a glare at him, she turned the magazine over, her cheeks reddening.

"I knew that!" She hissed.

_This isn't going well_, he thought, rubbing his eyes wearily.

"Luna, I can only say I'm sorry so many times-"

"Well, you're not apologizing to the right people, then." She fumed, slapping the magazine down on the couch. "Pansy won't come out of her room, and she's not speaking to anyone. Neville thinks it's something he said or did. You started all of this; you should be the one to fix it."

"For Merlin's sake, all I did was talk to her about the situation, tell her what I thought she needed to do-"

"All well and good, but what if she's not ready to take your advice? Did you even think about that?"

"Luna, I was just trying to help her." He sighed. "I meant no harm."

"You upset her."

"So what should I do, coddle her?" He snapped. "Tell her everything is fine, that it's alright for her to draw into a shell, to shut everyone out?"

"That's exactly what she did, thanks to your interference." Luna shot back.

"All I did was tell her what I saw happening with her." John sighed. "She's doing the same things to Neville that-"

"What? Go on."

"…that I did to you." He said softly, rising from his seat on the couch. "Just like she's doing to Neville, I shut you out. By Merlin…"

"What is it?"

He looked down at her, and then picked up his cane.

"Excuse me, dear." He said gently. "I need to talk to someone. I should be back in an hour or so."

oOo

"Coming, coming." Neville sighed, wiping his hands on a dish towel. Tossing it next to the sink, he quickly made his way through the sitting room to his door. Opening it, he blinked.

John Worthington stood there, with a paper bag, leaning on his cane.

"Mind if I come in?" He asked, holding the bag out to Neville.

"Um…no, Sir, come in. Would you like tea?"

John limped over to the couch and sat down with a sigh.

"No, Neville, just get us a couple of glasses and pour us each a shot." He said, leaning his cane against the couch.

"Um…Sir, I'm not much of a drinker-"

"Neither am I, Neville." John smiled. "We don't need much. But we do need to have a talk."

Producing two glasses, Neville uncorked the bottle of firewhiskey and poured two fingers in each glass. Stoppering the bottle, he handed one to John.

"What's this about, then?" The younger man asked nervously, rolling the firewhiskey around in his glass carefully.

"Pansy."

"Ah. She's angry with me, I fear-"

"She's not angry at you, Neville." John said softly, taking a sip of firewhiskey. "She's put out with me because I had a talk to her. I tend to say things in a rather blunt way, and I may have hurt her feelings. I'm sorry that I fouled things up for you."

"Well, I don't see how you did that-"

"It's beside the point. You need to go talk to Pansy, and soon."

"I've tried." Neville sighed. "She won't open her door when I knock. She won't return my floo calls. I don't know what to do."

"Neville, forgive me if I'm blunt in my manner of speaking, but she believes that you don't want her."

"But I-"

"Hear me out." John said calmly, holding up his hand. "She believes that she'd be nothing but a burden to you, that you deserve better than her."

Neville squirmed uncomfortably in his chair, cheeks reddening as he stared into his firewhiskey.

"What was more interesting was what she didn't say." The older man said softly, taking another sip of his drink. "Neville, do you only want a friendship with Pansy? Or do you want more than that?"

"You used _Legilimency_ on her!" Neville said abruptly, nearly spilling his drink.

"No need for that, she was fairly shouting her thoughts at me, until she caught herself doing that and put up her occlumency shields. All I did, Neville, was passively open my mind to catch any stray thoughts of hers. Hardly an intrusion."

"Still, I-"

"Answer the question, Neville." John said firmly, looking at the younger man hard. "Do you want something more with Pansy than friendship?"

After a moment of hesitation, Neville nodded.

"I…didn't think she wanted such with me." He said softly, and then took a sip of his firewhiskey, grimacing as it burned its way down his throat. "She's always been so hateful to me, and then after…she was hurt…well, I just couldn't help myself, I had to help her. There was nobody else willing to-"

"I know, Neville." John nodded. "You're a good man, just the kind of man that she needs most."

"I…I can't talk to her."

"You need to, and soon." John said, leaning forward.

oOo

July 19, 2008~

She sat bolt upright in bed, wide awake.

Someone was in the sitting room. As she lay there in the bed, half-frozen in fear, she heard movement, then a crash of something being knocked over.

Fumbling for her wand, Pansy slid from the bed to the floor, struggling to at least get to the bathroom. She pulled herself with her elbows and hands across the rug, her wand pointed at the door with a trembling hand.

_They've found me_, she thought in blind panic. _The other Death Eaters, the ones who survived, they're here to finish the job._

Readying her wand, she grabbed hold of the bed, pulling herself up, hand over hand.

_My wheelchair-where did I leave it?_

Fumbling along the foot board of the bed in the dark bedroom, she tried to remember.

_It wasn't on the side of the bed that I got up from, I know that. It must be on the other side, obviously._

In the end, it was a wrinkled up spot in the rug at the foot of her bed that was her undoing. As she came around the foot of the bed, struggling to pull herself around to where she believed her wheelchair to be, her still numb foot caught on the wrinkle, tripping her. As she fell, she heard a _snap_.

_Oh, Merlin, please don't let it be…_

She felt along her wand.

It was neatly broken in two, held together only by the unicorn hair core.

_I'm dead_, she thought in horror. _I didn't do well with wandless magic, I never have. I can do little spells, like Accio and __Alohomora, but nothing that I could defend myself with._

She looked around her for a weapon, anything she could use, listening intently for movement in the sitting room just outside her door. Nothing could be heard. As she searched for something to use, she glanced over at the fireplace in her room.

A lonely coal glowed faintly in the ashes, the remains of the small fire she'd built for her to chase the chill away.

"_Accio_ floo powder." She whispered, holding her hand out to catch the small bowl as it sailed toward her. Taking a handful, she gently sprinkled it on the burning coal as she blew gently on it, coaxing a flame out of it.

"Neville Longbottom." She said softly. "Neville, are you there?"

Nothing.

"Please, Neville, answer me." She whispered frantically, trembling with fear, "Please wake up-"

"Hrm…Hello?" Neville said, his ghostly green face in the flames thin and difficult to see at all. He covered his mouth and yawned. "Who is this…do you know what time it is?"

"Neville, it's Pansy." She whispered, pausing to listen. "I think there's someone in my sitting room."

Neville's face blinked, then he rubbed his eyes.

"I'll be right there." He said, sounding more awake now. She could see him shrugging into his bathrobe.

"Step aside, I'm coming through." Neville said.

She crawled as best she could away from the fireplace, moving out of the way just in time for him to step out of the floo, brushing the ash off of himself. Holding his wand at the ready, he knelt beside her.

"Are you alright?" He whispered, wand pointed at the door to the sitting room.

Pansy nodded, her eyes wide with fright.

"Stay right here." He said softly, rising and moving to the door.

Jerking the door open, he quickly moved into the sitting room, closing the door behind him and warding it. Pansy reached up and grabbed the poker from the fireplace, holding it before her like a sword as she sat on the floor, listening intently.

Footsteps approached her door, and then it opened. She cringed away from it, unsure of who might come in, hoping it would only be Neville.

"Lumos." Neville said, pointing his wand at the candles on her bedside table. "I have apprehended your burglar, Pansy."

"You did?" She gasped, lowering the poker. "But…I didn't hear anything."

"It appears that it was a cat burglar." Neville smiled, opening his bathrobe to show her a tiny, bedraggled black kitten, with a white left ear. "Or more properly, perhaps a kitten burglar. Do you happen to have any milk in your fridge?"

The kitten looked up at Neville and meowed pitifully.

Patsy put the poker back, her hand shaking, sighing heavily with relief.

_A kitten, of all things_, she thought. _I must have been dreaming, and it made a noise out in the sitting room._

"I…I think there's some cream in the fridge, perhaps." She said, pulling herself back up to a sitting position. "I'm just going to sit here a moment, until I'm over my fright."

"Alright then." He left the room. Pansy could hear him in the kitchen, dishes clinking gently as he found a saucer and put some cream in it for the kitten, talking softly to it as he put the dish down for it to drink.

After a few minutes, he came back to her room, pausing to retrieve her dressing gown from the foot of her bed and coming over to her.

"Here, put this on." Neville said. "Would you like me to freshen up your fire? You must be freezing-"

"Neville, I fell." She said softly, holding up the remains of her wand. "I broke it. I'm so sorry-"

_The wand that he bought for me_, she thought miserably, as tears welled up in her eyes. She shut her eyes tightly to shut everything out, to disappear in her shame.

Then she felt his arms go around her, his embrace gentle and comforting, causing her tears to flow freely down her cheeks.

"It…It's alright, Pansy." He murmured into her hair. "We'll get you another wand."

"You…you can't Neville!" She protested. "You've spent virtually everything you have trying to help me with the lawsuits, you can't afford a new wand for me. I was clumsy and I broke it, I'm just going to have to go without!"

"Pansy." Neville said softly, lifting her chin to look at her. "I'll spend the last knut I have if it means that you would be happy again."

"No, Neville. You can't-" Pansy sobbed, grabbing him by his bathrobe. "I won't allow you to let me drag you down-"

"Nonsense. What if you're what I want?"

"Neville…no…" She whispered, burying her face in his chest.

"Pansy, look at me."

"No."

"Please?"

Hesitantly she raised her head, her eyes reluctantly meeting his.

"I promised you that I'd always be here for you, didn't I?" Neville said softly. "I keep my promises, Pansy. I love you."

She shook her head in disbelief, hardly noticing that her hands were knotting themselves even more firmly in his bathrobe.

"You can't, Neville." She sobbed, fresh tears springing forth. "You know as well as I do that I could be sued again, that it may never stop-"

"I'm willing to accept that, if I can be with you, Pansy."

"But…I was so mean to you…"

"Water under the bridge. You're not that person anymore, and I rather like the woman that you've become. You're strong, resilient, kind, gentle, intelligent-"

"Would you hush?" She said suddenly, covering his mouth with her hand as she blushed fiercely.

He worked his way free of her hand, and then grinned at her.

"There's only one way to hush me." He said, and then before she could react, he kissed her. A gentle, chaste kiss, but a kiss nevertheless, that was followed by another, and then another.

She was surprised to find her arms winding around his neck, her lips moving on his as she sought more contact.

_Merlin, he's a good kisser_, she thought, coming to her senses and breaking the kiss, leaving them both panting.

"We…shouldn't have done that." She said quietly, turning her head away as she blushed.

"I think it was a fine thing to do." He said, gently caressing her back with one hand as he held her to him. "I meant what I said, Pansy. I do love you."

"You're a fool, Neville Longbottom." She said, struggling to make it insulting, but instead it came out with little heat, sounding more like a compliment.

Neville smiled.

"Shall I carry you over to the bed?" He asked, sliding his arms under her to scoop her up, easily picking her up with ease.

Pansy nodded shyly.

Neville walked over to the bed, gently setting her down, and pulling the duvet back up to cover her. Taking his wand out, he rebuilt the fire and set the floo powder where she could reach it. He walked back to the bed, leaning down to kiss her again.

"Will you be alright for the rest of the night?" He asked softly. "Or do you need anything?"

Pansy looked at him for a long moment, and then patted the empty space beside her in the bed.

"Just one thing, Neville." She said gently. "I need my fool, right here."

He hesitated for a moment, and then when she patted the bed again, moved around to the empty side as she threw back the duvet.

"Um…Pansy?" He said awkwardly.

"Yes, Neville?"

"I…I'm only wearing boxers under this robe."

"So, take off the robe and get in the bed, Neville." She said softly, giving him a smile. "I think…we should take things slowly, for now. But I'd like you to hold me…I think I could sleep that way."

"Alright, then." He said, untying the sash of his robe and tossing it over the foot of the bed.

Blushing, he lay down on the bed, pulling the duvet up to his chest as he rolled onto his side facing her. She rolled facing away from him, sighing in contentment as she felt his warmth on her back.

"Big spoon, little spoon." Pansy murmured absently.

"What?" Neville said softly, raising his head to look at her, confused.

"You're the big spoon to my little spoon." She said, reaching over to take hold of his arm, pulling it around her to place his hand just under her breast, intertwining her fingers with his.

It was later, when she felt him relax, his breathing deepening in sleep, that she finally started to feel safe again.

"I love you too, Neville." She whispered softly, closing her eyes.

oOo

Something was tickling her nose.

Pansy screwed up her face, batting at whatever it was, nearly knocking the kitten off the bed.

"Oh dear!" She said, "_Accio_ kitten!"

Catching it in her hand, she tried to put it as close as she could to where it had been curled up next to her. After a moment, it began to purr. She rolled slightly to her left, looking over at Neville, who had rolled onto his back and was still sound asleep, snoring lightly.

_He loves me_, she thought to herself as she watched him sleep. _The very idea of it terrifies me._

She rolled onto her tummy, propping herself up on a pillow. The kitten carefully climbed up on her back, cautiously making its way over to the warm spot right between them.

_I think I love him_, she thought as the kitten snuggled into her side, yawning widely. _That terrifies me, too. He's such a good man, so gentle and kind, so strong…_

Neville's eyes fluttered, opening slowly as he yawned, and then focusing on her face.

"Good morning." Pansy said softly.

"Good morning." He said, smiling a bit. "I see that I forgot to close the bedroom door to keep your cat burglar out."

"She's fine."

"She?"

"Yes, Neville, she." Pansy smirked. "I looked."

"How did you sleep?" He said, reaching over to twine his fingers in hers.

"Very well. You?"

"I slept alright. I'm not…I'm used to sleeping alone."

"It's okay, Neville." She said shyly. "I…haven't been with anyone since just after graduation."

"Well, I'm not a virgin."

"Neither am I." She said, and then frowned slightly, blushing.

"What's the matter?"

"I…need to talk to you about a few things, Neville." She said softly, chewing on her lip nervously. "It…it isn't that I wouldn't want to…with you…but I'm not sure how well it would work…"

He began to say something, and then thought better of it, deciding to just hear her out.

"I definitely haven't been with anyone since the accident, when I was injured." She continued, her voice unsteady. "I…I don't know how well things work…down there…I mean…I'm just not sure…"

Swiping away a tear with the back of her hand, she sniffed.

_Merlin, why does this have to be so difficult?_ She sighed miserably.

"I just don't know if I can…be a good girlfriend, wife, lover, whatever we decide this is."

"I can be patient." He said, gently squeezing her hand. "As I told you, I love you. I've gotten kind of used to your company, and I like it. I'd like to keep on with this, if you don't mind. We don't have to go any faster than you wish; in fact, that's probably for the best. One day at a time."

She couldn't speak. For a moment, all she could do was look at him, her vision blurry with tears that flowed freely down her cheeks. Finally, she nodded.

"Let's do just that, then." She whispered. 

oOo

August 17, 2008~

"Come in!" Pansy called out when the knock came at her door. As the door opened, Nina shot past her mother, looking for the kitten. Ana sighed at her daughter's impulsiveness as she and Luna walked in, three boxes floating in behind the younger witch.

"Hello, Pansy," Luna said cheerfully, lowering the boxes to the floor with her wand, then sitting down on the couch with a weary sigh. Tucking her wand behind her ear, she absently rubbed her swollen belly through her teaching robes.

"Luna, do you need anything to drink? Tea?" Pansy said, rising from her seat, positioning her crutches under her arms.

"I'll put the kettle on, Pansy." Ana said, patting her on the arm as she walked past her toward the kitchen.

"Thank you, Professor." Pansy sighed, sitting back down again. "I made tea sandwiches; they're in the fridge, and there are biscuits in the pantry.

"Miss Pansy, where is Nox?" Nina asked, leaning on the armrest of Pansy's chair.

"Heavens, I don't know." Pansy said gently. "She's probably hiding under the couch, or under my bed. You need to be calmer, sweetheart. She's just a baby, and you frighten her when you run after her."

Nina frowned, and then nodded.

"I'll just sit down here on the rug by the fireplace." She said, doing just that. "She'll come to me then."

"She probably will, if you're quiet enough." Luna said gently, smiling at her.

Ana came in, bringing a tray of tea sandwiches, along with some biscuits. Setting it on the coffee table, she turned to Luna.

"Do you want me to take those clothes to Pansy's bedroom?" She said to the younger witch. "That way you won't have to get up, you can rest."

"I'm only pregnant, Ana." Luna sighed. "I'm not fragile."

"All the same, I'm standing and you've already sat down." Ana said, then turned to Pansy. "Pansy, where do you want me to put these boxes?"

"Probably the closet would be best." Pansy said, thinking about it.

As the last box trailed along behind Ana into her bedroom, Pansy's eyes widened.

_Oh, Merlin_, she thought in horror. _I hope she doesn't notice any of Neville's things-_

"Professor Romanov-Snape!" She called out anxiously, turning in her chair. "Never mind putting them in the closet; I need to sort through it, try the clothes on first."

"Alright, I'll just set them at the foot of the bed." Ana's voice drifted out to her.

After a few moments, the Potions Mistress walked back into the sitting room, carrying Nox. Setting the kitten in Nina's lap carefully, she went to the kitchen, where the kettle had begun to whistle. Nina gently began petting the kitten, talking to it softly.

"So how are things?" Luna said, raising an eyebrow at Pansy.

"Fine." Pansy said nervously. "Things are fine. How about you?"

"Five months along." Her friend said with a sigh. "Little Ian is very active. I'm lucky to get two straight hours of sleep. He's a terrible night owl."

"Is Elizabeth excited to have a brother on the way?" Pansy asked as Ana set the tea service on the coffee table and began to pour.

"I'm not sure she really understands, but she seems happy enough with it."

Ana sat down next to Luna on the couch, stirring a couple of lumps of sugar into her tea. Pansy looked over at the Potions Mistress nervously, and nearly came undone when Ana smirked and winked at her.

_Merlin's beard_, she cringed. _ She knows. She saw Neville's robe in the bathroom, or worse…_

"Pansy," Ana said casually, "I brought some materials for you from Beauxbartons, regarding the scholarship. I left them on your little desk in your bedroom, for you to look at."

"Thank you, Professor." She said, her mouth feeling rather dry. She picked up her cup and took a cautious sip of her tea.

"I'm happy to help you, dear." Ana smiled. "I see things are going well for you lately. That's wonderful…Neville seems in a very good humor lately, also. Must be something in the air."

_Oh, gods_, Pansy sighed. _She knows._

"I…truly appreciate it, Professor." Pansy smiled, certain that her cheeks were quite red by now. "I've been looking at different colleges in the area, trying to decide."

"Good." Ana nodded. "There's no restriction on where you can use the scholarship; I made that a condition when it was founded. I didn't want someone who was in need to be limited to only one, or a few schools."

"So, how is therapy going?" Luna said, picking up a cucumber sandwich. "I see you're using the crutches and leg braces again. I thought you didn't like them."

"Well, I didn't," Pansy replied, "But I'm never going to walk again just sitting in a wheel chair. Neville got me a wand to replace the one that I broke when I fell, so I put cushioning charms on just about everything, even all of the floors."

"But you're walking again, even if it's with crutches." Ana smiled. "That's wonderful. I'm so happy for you, Pansy."

Later on, as they were leaving, Ana was the last out, turning to Pansy at the door and giving her a warm hug.

"As I said, I'm very happy for you," She whispered in Pansy's ear. "Both of you. Mind you don't keep my Assistant Professor up too late, dear."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Chapter 40

September 8, 2008~

"Mind if I join you for a while?"

Startled, Pansy looked up, having been engrossed in her book. Severus Snape stood towering over her, one eyebrow raised in inquiry.

"No…of course not, Professor Snape." She said, moving her crutches over to make room on the bench.

"I see that you seem to be getting around well." He observed as he sat down with a weary sigh.

"Yes, the crutches are much better than the wheelchair." Pansy nodded, tucking her bookmark in her textbook to mark her place. "You seem tired, sir."

"I am. Business is booming in my shops." He sighed. "When I am home, my time to rest is limited by the adoration of my children and my lovely wife; that makes for little rest for me. I scarcely have time to keep up on my studies myself. What are you reading?"

"Beckett's Stewardship of Magical Creatures." She said, showing him the cover. "It's the textbook for my 1st year classes."

"So you finally did decide to attend college?" Severus asked, watching a motley squadron of third-years on their brooms above the Quiddich field in the distance.

"Yes...I allowed Professor Romanov-Snape, Luna, and Professor Longbottom to talk me into graduate school at Beauxbatons. I'm majoring in Care of Magical Creatures for now."

"Pansy, please, you may call her Ana if you wish." He said gently. "You're no longer her student, and I am no longer a professor. I would rather you call me Severus."

"I…I'm sorry, Sir. I called you Professor for so long, it's difficult to change."

"I understand, my dear."

For a long time, they sat quietly on the bench, Pansy reading her book. Butterflies and birds flitted around the garden as the water in the pond lapped at the shore near where they sat. Snape closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax as he listened to the birds singing.

"Sir?"

"Yes, Pansy?" Severus said, opening his eyes as he turned his head to look at her.

"How…how do you deal with it?" She blurted, blushing and looking at her feet.

"I don't follow you."

"Well, you know," Pansy said nervously, "How people treated you, after the war. The insults, throwing things-"

"I pay them no mind, dear. I did what I had to do, what I was asked to do by Headmaster Dumbledore. I did what was necessary to accomplish our goal—the defeat of the Dark Lord."

Turning to her, he studied her for a moment, and then with a sigh, he continued.

"You're not still upset about your trip to Hogsmeade last weekend with Luna and Ana, are you?"

Pansy hesitated, and then nodded, biting her lip.

"I…I never had anyone throw something like that at me, Sir." She said, shuddering at the memory of how close the rotten cabbage had come to hitting her in the head, or the sound it made as it hit the stone wall of Rosemerta's.

"I don't think I'll ever get used to people hating me." She went on, looking over at him, her fingers nervously toying with her bookmark. "I know that I wasn't that well liked in school, but this is different. More personal. They are so…vicious."

"Pansy, it will take a while for people to forget." Snape said gently. "You can't live in fear of their little tantrums. It was over with quickly, correct?"

"Yes, Sir." She nodded. "After Luna cast _protego_ on us, Professor Rom…um, I mean, Ana chewed them out good after she cast body-bind on them. It was pretty scary for a little bit."

"I'm sure she terrified them quite thoroughly." He smiled.

"Oh, she certainly did." Pansy smiled back, and then turned more serious. "Sorry, Sir-Severus. I suppose I shouldn't take so much delight in their getting chewed out."

"Nonsense. After all, you are of Slytherin house." Snape said gently, shifting on the bench to face her. "We don't provoke trouble, yet it always seems to find us. Don't worry; we will protect you from them until they stop. You have a loyal defender in my dear wife; she will keep you safe."

"I have Neville, too." She said softly, glancing at the book in her lap.

"Yes, you do." He nodded. "He's a good man, Pansy. He will take good care of you."

"Professor-um, sorry, Severus…" Pansy said, picking at thread protruding from the binding of her book, "Um, I-do you know Neville's grandmother?"

"I do." He nodded. "Don't fear her, my dear. Augusta's bark is far worse than her bite."

"Well, I've only met her the one time." Pansy replied nervously, fighting the temptation to look behind her, to make sure that Neville's grandmother wasn't coming up behind her.

"I heard."

"She seemed pleasant enough, but it was like being questioned by the Aurors. No, worse."

Snape smiled, brushing a speck of lint from his black robes.

"Trust me, it's not a problem." He said, patting his former student's hand reassuringly.

"It's not?" Pansy said uneasily. "It was the most unpleasant hour of my life."

"She would have run you off, or left within fifteen minutes, if she didn't like you, Pansy."

"Merlin." Pansy sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I hope it gets easier after this."

"It will." Severus said, rising to leave her. "She's a bit abrasive, but she has Neville's best interests at heart. When I spoke to her last, she seemed in very good spirits about it."

"She…she approves?" Pansy said, feeling rather lightheaded all of a sudden.

"Of course." He said, smiling at her. "Otherwise she would have run you off. As I said, she's rather protective of her grandson. Ana and I have talked with her a few times, vouched for your good character, so to speak."

"I…" Pansy said softly, "I owe you my thanks, then."

"It was our pleasure to help you and Neville." He replied. "All we did was voice our honest opinion of you."

oOo

October 4, 2008~

She lay in their bed, listening to the sounds the castle made, the ticking of the clock in the sitting room, the wind moving past their windows. Nestled against the warmth of Neville's body, Pansy still could not sleep, though they had retired to bed some three hours ago.

"Knut for your thoughts, my darling." Neville murmured drowsily, placing a gentle kiss on her bare shoulder, causing her to shiver slightly.

"Insufferable Gryffindor." She sighed contentedly, smiling in spite of herself. "Just go back to sleep, would you?"

"I would, but my beloved cannot." He said, drawing her closer into his embrace and kissing her forehead. "So, tell me. What's got you so restless tonight?"

"Nothing, really." She shrugged. "Just not feeling sleepy. That's all."

"Really. Sure you don't want to talk?"

"Neville, it's nearly two in the morning. You have to teach class in six hours."

"And you have to attend class in France in seven hours." Neville said softly. "What's bothering you? You're not fooling me, you know."

Nervously, she fidgeted with a button on her nightgown, not looking at him.

"Pansy." He said, ducking his head down so he could look at her better. "Look at me."

She shook her head, fighting back the tears as she put her forehead against his chest.

"It's not about what happened earlier, is it?" He prodded gently. "I'm not upset, really I'm not. We knew things might not be that easy to begin with-"

"But it's been several weeks of it, Neville!" She snapped in frustration, tears spilling down her cheeks, her chin trembling. "I want you to make love to me, to have you inside me, to love you-"

"Pansy, it's alright." He gently shushed her, kissing her forehead again. "It's just a minor bump in the road. I'm always going to be here for you, through good and bad times both."

"But I can't be a good woman to you-"

"You are a good woman to me, darling. You are the only woman I want, ever."

She bit her lip, burying her face in his broad chest, shaking with her sobs as he hugged her.

"I want to marry you." He said softly. "I want you as my wife."

She froze, her breath catching in her throat. She squeezed her eyes shut tightly, not daring to even so much as think of such a thing.

_It would all fall apart_, she thought, trembling despite his strong arms around her. _I don't dare dream it could happen, I don't deserve it. It would just be snatched away from me-_

"Pansy?" He said softly.

"No, Neville." She whispered, shaking her head. "I don't want your name tainted with mine."

"Pansy." He said sharply, startling her. "Look at me."

Hesitantly, she did so, her wide gray eyes searching his. Gentle hazel eyes met hers as he looked down at her.

"THAT is enough of such nonsense. I love you. I want you to be my wife." He said gently, yet with a firm resolve behind it. "Your name does not 'taint' mine, and I will have no more talk of such. I would be honored to have you as my wife."

"But we couldn't-"

"It's alright, love." He sighed, rubbing her back with his hand. "We got farther this time than the last few times. You just get frustrated too easily, and that makes everything more difficult for you."

"I just want you to be happy, to be able to finish…" She whispered miserably, fresh tears springing up in her eyes.

"I am happy. I have the woman I love in my arms every night, and that is what makes me happy."

She sniffed back her tears, wiping them away with one hand, and then pulled him down to kiss her again. When they broke the kiss, she smiled shyly at him, biting her lip slightly for a moment as her fingers fiddled nervously with his t-shirt.

"I want to try again, Neville." She said in an unsteady whisper, pulling his lips down to hers.

oOo

October 6, 2008~

"Hello, Pansy."

She looked up from her textbook, startled to see Ana leaning over her table in the library.

"Oh! Hello, Professor." She stammered, taking her wand out and _vanishing_ the smear of ink on her parchment. She'd been deeply engrossed in her revising, so much so that she hadn't realized how late it was, nearly time for dinner. She began to put her books and parchment away in her bag.

"I just happened to come in to speak to my mother-in-law," Ana said, sitting down, "and noticed you were still here. It's nice to see that you are still such a diligent student, but you don't want to miss dinner."

"Yes, ma'am." Pansy nodded.

"Oh…I received an owl yesterday from Professor LeDoux, Pansy." The Potions professor said softly, idly tapping the table with a black-gloved finger.

_Oh, dear_, Pansy thought, her mouth suddenly rather dry. _Oh, my stars, this is bad…_

"Professor, I can explain-"

"Please, do, by all means."

"I…I…overslept." Pansy said quickly, blushing now. "Neville…he, um…we were up late, talking-"

"Oh, please stop." Ana sighed, waving to her with a gloved hand in dismissal. "I know that you and Neville are living together. That's not much of a secret, except perhaps from the students. Merlin knows, Severus and I lived together for nearly a year."

"Well, he didn't wake me when he left to teach class." The younger woman said softly, blushing fiercely. "We…well, I…um-"

"Just don't let it happen again, dear." Ana said gently, patting her hand as she got up from her chair. "I'll smooth things over with Professor LeDoux-"

"We had a breakthrough, of sorts." Pansy whispered, blushing even more deeply.

Ana paused for a moment, raising an eyebrow. As she realized what Pansy was hinting at, she smiled gently at her former student, nodding in understanding.

"Good for you." She said warmly, and then held her gloved hand out to Pansy. "I'm so happy for you, dear. Shall we go to dinner?"

oOo

November 10, 2008~

"It's an awful name to saddle a young boy with."

"Oh, stop being so grumpy." Ana said as she neatly finished wrapping a gift for the baby shower. "John and Luna wanted to honor you. Besides, it's only his middle name."

"Ian Severus." Snape muttered darkly, swirling his firewhiskey in its glass as he sat in his armchair, holding the October issue of Potions Monthly loosely in his other hand, one slender finger marking his place. "Poor lad."

"Severus, stop being so grumpy about it."

"I just don't see why they feel the need to do this."

"In their eyes, you are a loyal friend, mentor, and war hero."

"Nonsense." He muttered darkly, taking another sip of firewhiskey. "I was a pawn in the game, a mere tool to be manipulated by the powers that were."

"You are a hero." Ana snapped, banging the scissors down on the table hard enough to splinter the wood. "I will have none of this! Я не буду стоять в стороне и позволять никому, включая вас, чтобы запятнать свое доброе имя-"

"Darling," Severus said softly, "Mind, the children are right here in the sitting room."

Ana paused, startled, and then clapped her hand to her mouth, turning away from him and the three children. Marcus sat very still, obviously pretending not to have heard her outburst, next to Fiona, a book still open in his hands as they sat together on the magical play rug. While her youngest daughter was watching her closely, her eyes wide, Nina was sitting on the couch, pretending very hard to be completely absorbed in reading a first year potions textbook.

"Ana?"

She turned to look at him, her tears streaming down her cheeks, blushing.

"I…I'm sorry." Ana sniffed, "I forgot myself, I-"

"It's alright, dear." He said gently, setting his magazine aside and rising from his chair, crossing the room to her to hug her.

"I…I just can't stand it when you talk that way about yourself." She sobbed, knotting her hands in his white dress shirt. "You know how it upsets me."

"Mama?"

They turned at one to see Fiona toddling over toward them, arms outstretched to her mother. Ana swiped her tears away with her hand, then bent down and scooped up her tiny daughter, who promptly began to finger her French braid.

"Oh no, you don't." Ana laughed, pulling her wand out to cast a charm to protect it from being unraveled. "I'm wise to you, missy."

"Mum, will you teach me how to speak Russian, too?" Marcus said, looking up at her.

"Of course, darling." She smiled.

oOo

January 4, 2009~

"Who gives this woman to be married?" Minerva McGonagall said, looking out at the small group of people.

"I do." Severus Snape said, feeling Pansy's fingers tighten nervously on his forearm. He could feel her trembling as she fought to remain standing, having stubbornly refused to use her crutches. He made a subtle motion with his hand, casting a _levitation_ spell to take some of the strain off of her unsteady legs, the bride looking up at him with a smile of gratitude.

Carefully, he moved out of the way so that Neville could take her arm.

"I'll maintain the _levitation_ charm, until you wish to use your crutches, dear." Snape whispered. Pansy shook her head.

"Just have them handy at the reception, please." Pansy whispered back. "Thank you, Sir."

Severus nodded, and once he was sure Neville was supporting her, moved to his seat next to Ana in the front row. Once he had sat down, intertwining his fingers with Ana's, his wife had leaned over to him.

"Being stubborn again, is she?" Ana whispered, her breath tickling his ear gently as Minerva began the ceremony.

Severus nodded.

"You did well giving away the bride." She smirked, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "You shouldn't have any problem at all when Nina gets married in the next ten years or so."

"Hold your tongue." He hissed, earning another smirk from her.

oOo

August 3, 2009~

"I now pronounce you man and wife." Headmistress McGonagall said, her grey eyes twinkling. "You may kiss your bride."

Lifting the ivory veil, John leaned down and kissed Luna as she stood on tiptoe, her feet bare on the grass.

Seven year old Marcus Snape tugged at the uncomfortable high collar of his shirt, the pillow that had held the wedding rings tucked under his arm. He badly wanted to take off the suit and shirt, but a glance at his mother reminded him that he still had to behave a bit longer. Glancing over at the flower girl, he was surprised to see her stick her tongue out at him.

Elizabeth was happy that her mum and dad were married now, though it seemed silly to her, all this ceremony. She glanced up at her parents, they had finished their kissing, and now the old lady was saying some more words, and it seemed that things were over, but no, there was more talking to do. She really didn't care; she badly needed to go to the loo. Squeezing her thighs together, she looked past her mum and dad, spotting the tall black haired boy. He was smirking at her. With a glance at her mum to make sure she wouldn't be caught, she then stuck her tongue out at him, making her ugliest face at him. That would show him.

After the wedding cake was cut, and she had had two pieces-one that Mummy had given her, and one that she filched when Mum wasn't looking-she sat in a chair, listening to the grownups talk. _Boring_, she thought, stifling a yawn. The ringbearer, Marcus-he'd been introduced as her Aunt Ana and Uncle Severus's son-seemed bored too, but she didn't care about him. He looked half asleep, having eaten his fill of tea sandwiches and cake. Waiting for the moment when Mummy and Daddy were busy talking, she quietly slipped away, glancing over her shoulder to make sure she wasn't followed as she made her way to her favorite place; the lake.

She felt it slide down the back of her dress, all wet and slimy and icky. With a shriek, Elizabeth spun around, her red hair whipping around as she confronted her tormentor; her hands connecting with his chest as she blindly shoved him backward. Her heart leaped in terror as she realized her mistake; his back had been toward the lake, and she stumbled forward against him as they both fell toward the murky water. The boy shoved her roughly back toward the bank, causing her to sit down hard in the muck, just as he disappeared under the water in a swirl of bubbles.

She sat there in the mud, horrified, staring at the inky water, the rapidly approaching footsteps only dimly registering on her consciousness.

_I killed him._ She thought. The frog that Marcus had put down her dress, now finally free, hopped off unnoticed.

"Elizabeth! Are you alright?" Her daddy said, turning her to face him.

With a trembling finger, she pointed at the water, at the few bubbles that remained.

"Marcus." She whispered, trembling.

As her mother came up to take her in reassuring arms, her daddy shucked his robes, diving into the water.

Elizabeth trembled worse than ever as she watched.

_I'm in trouble now_, she thought, tears welling up in her eyes as she began to sob against her mother's wedding gown. _Now I've ruined everything._

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Author's notes:

"Я не буду стоять в стороне и позволять никому, включая вас, чтобы запятнать свое доброе имя-" : "I will not stand by and allow anyone, including you, to sully your good name-"


	10. Chapter 41 to 45

~Chapter 41~

August 3, 2009~

Luna sighed in exasperation, taking out her wand and _vanishing_ the mud from her ivory silk wedding dress. Leaning down carefully, she looked at the light blue silk dress that her daughter was wearing, shaking her head. It was splotched all over with green algae and mud, dripping on the grass as Elizabeth shivered, more from the fear of her mother than being completely soaked. Luna frowned at her daughter and shook her head, biting her lip in concentration as she took out her wand.

_This is awful_, she thought, examining the stains. _I'll never be able to get this clean in time to get back to the reception. What a mess!_

"Honestly, Elizabeth!" She sighed in exasperation, using her wand to clean it as best she could. "I think you've ruined it."

"It was Marcus' fault, Mummy!" Elizabeth sobbed, trembling from anger. "He put a frog down my dress! It was really slimy and icky!"

"That doesn't mean you should push him into the lake, sweetheart." Her mother said gently, picking some kind of green aquatic plant out of her daughter's wet hair. She began quietly chanting a cleaning charm as she moved her wand.

"He's mean! I don't like him!"

"He nearly drowned, Elizabeth." Luna explained patiently. "If it hadn't been for the giant squid putting him back on dry land, he could have died. He can't swim yet, darling."

A rustling in the bushes near the lake drew her attention. Looking up, she saw John coming back, his dress robes shed, wearing only his white shirt and dress pants with his sleeves rolled up just past his forearms. His clothes were smeared with muck, dripping wet, and he was barefoot as he limped toward them, favoring his left leg as he usually did.

"Where's your cane?" Luna asked, a worried frown on her face. "And what on earth happened to your shoes?"

"In the lake somewhere, I guess." He shrugged. "I didn't have time to take them off when I dived in after Marcus."

Leaning against a tree, he brushed some of the muck off his pants, looking down at his sniffling daughter with an expression that was a mix of something between irritation and amusement.

"Is Marcus going to be alright?" Luna asked anxiously.

"Yes, he's fine." John said, rubbing his eyes, the sunlight flashing on his platinum wedding band. "Just scared half to death. I'm sure he thought he was going to die. He probably didn't even know about the giant squid in the lake. All he knew was that something huge grabbed him when he went under and tossed him up on the bank."

Leaning down to kiss her, he looked carefully at her, concern in his hazel eyes.

"Are you okay?" John asked, gently touching her swollen abdomen through her wedding dress.

"We're fine." Luna smiled, catching his hand and squeezing it affectionately. Hearing movement in the brush, they turned in the direction of the sound to see Severus coming toward them.

"Is Elizabeth alright?" Severus asked as he walked toward them, his dress robes now smeared likewise with mud from the lake. He carried John's cane in his left hand, as he used his wand to _vanish_ the muck from his robes.

"Oh, Professor Snape, I'm so sorry!" Luna said, blushing with embarrassment. "Elizabeth is fine, just wet and dirty. I'm just worried about Marcus! Is he alright?"

"He's fine, though he had a good scare." Snape said, smirking as he handed John his cane. "His mother caught him in the act, though it was too late to prevent the punishment that your daughter so swiftly dealt him."

"The act?" Luna said blankly, and then realization dawned on her. "Oh, you mean the frog?"

Turning back to Elizabeth, she frowned.

"Pushing him in the lake," She scolded her daughter, "where he nearly drowns, that seems a bit severe."

"Well, I daresay he won't do it again." Severus said gently, smiling at Elizabeth. "Don't be too harsh with her; she's only four years old. Here, allow me to help clean her up."

Chanting a charm, he moved his wand over Elizabeth's dress, the stains and muck vanishing.

"Thank you so much, Professor Snape." Luna said, smiling gratefully. "I was using the _vanishing_ charm, but it just wasn't effective enough."

"I'll teach you this one." Severus said, eyeing some stains on his own sleeve. "Looks like I missed a few spots. Let me clean those up and take care of John; we need to return to the reception soon."

After a bit more cleaning, they headed back to the huge tent the Weasley family had loaned them to set up for the reception. Ana met them halfway, carrying a clean dress for Elizabeth.

"Have we missed anything?" Luna asked nervously.

"No, nothing." Ana replied, quickly conjuring a shelter so she could change Elizabeth's dress. "Let me check your dress over, Luna."

"It's fine, Professor Snape cleaned it up."

"He might have missed a spot; after all, he is a man, and they do miss details sometimes."

The older witch carefully examined Luna's wedding gown, tut-tutting under her breath as she pulled out her wand to clean some almost unnoticeable spots.

"Nina's should be here soon; Ian was getting restless." Ana said, looking up at her. "I think he might be getting hungry."

"Oh, no…" Luna sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"Don't fret." Ana said, conjuring a comfortable armchair for her and waving her toward it. "We have a notice-me-not charm on the shelter, so you can go ahead and nurse him if you wish. I'll take Elizabeth with me, once Nina gets here with Ian."

"But what if they get into a fight again? Elizabeth and Marcus?"

"I don't see that happening." Ana chuckled. "Severus has Marcus on a tight leash right now, and I don't think he's very interested in picking on your daughter now."

oOo

August 10, 2009~

"Well, Marcus? I'm waiting." Ana Romanov-Snape said sternly, crossing her legs at the knee and leaning back, her arms crossed as she watched her son.

Marcus Snape squirmed uncomfortably under the piercing gray eyes of his mother as she sat across from him on the couch, with Mrs. Worthington next to her. Elizabeth peeked from behind her mother at him, her bright blue eyes darkening with suspicion as she glared at him from behind her unruly copper-colored hair.

He sighed heavily, fighting the temptation to roll his eyes, knowing his mother would no doubt box his ears good if he dared.

"Marcus?" Ana said, glaring at him and raising an eyebrow.

_Here goes nothing_, he thought glumly, avoiding looking at Elizabeth. _Whatever I say will be the wrong thing, as far as they're concerned._

He closed his eyes, composing his words as best he could in his mind, and then leaned over a bit so he could address Elizabeth directly.

"Miss Worthington," He said, concentrating on the words his mother had demanded that he use, "I wish to apologize for my terrible behavior toward you on your parents' wedding day. My behavior was in exs-, um, excrusa-"

"In-ex-cus-able." His mother prompted softly.

Marcus gritted his teeth for a moment.

"My behavior was inexcusable." Marcus sighed. "I…I am sorry that I put the frog down your dress. I ruined the day for everyone, and I'm sorry."

He waited for a response, blushing and squirming a bit more under the combined gaze of the three witches-well, two witches and one future witch.

_She'll probably hex me as soon as she can hold a wand_, he thought glumly, his eyes downcast. _She hates me now. Everybody is angry with me now. Even Dad is mad at me, and he's hardly ever angry at me. Only Uncle John seems to still like me-_

"It's okay."

Startled, he glanced up to see Elizabeth looking at him with a slightly softer expression on her face.

"I forgive you." She said shyly, so softly that Marcus could barely hear her. "I was wrong to push you in the lake. I'm sorry I did that."

He sat there on the hard wooden chair, fidgeting under the gaze of those bright blue eyes, struggling to think of what he should say next. He felt as if his brain were stuffed with cotton, it was so difficult to think. Dimly he became aware of Mrs. Worthington saying something to him, and then his mother snapping her fingers in front of his face-oh, how he hated it when she did that!

"What?" He said, blinking in surprise.

"I think this is really enough punishment, Ana." Luna said gently, with an indulgent smile at Marcus. Elizabeth's blue eyes peered over her shoulder at him.

"If you think so." Ana huffed, still glaring at her son. "Marcus, I hope you've learned a lesson from this."

"Well, it all worked out alright. Nobody got hurt, and I think he's learned his lesson."

"I'm glad you didn't die." Elizabeth said shyly, venturing out from behind her mum. "Do you want to see my toys?"

Marcus nodded, still unsure if this was really happening.

Elizabeth reached over, taking his hand, leading him to her room.

Ana watched them go, her face reflecting her uneasiness with the situation.

"Are you sure they'll behave themselves?" She asked the younger witch.

"They'll be fine, Ana." Luna said, rising from the couch. "Really they will. How about some tea? I'll go put the kettle on."

With a glance toward Elizabeth's room, Ana reluctantly followed Luna into the kitchen, pulling out a chair at the table and sitting down with a sigh. Luna busied herself with the tea kettle, putting it on the stove and accioing the tea container from the shelf with a subtle wave of her hand. Deftly, she set out cups, sugar, and a small pitcher of cream on the tea tray, humming softly under her breath as she worked.

"So, how was Bermuda?" Ana asked, leaning back in her chair with a sigh. "Did you and John enjoy your honeymoon, even with the delay leaving?"

"A bit hot, actually." Luna smiled, leaning against the counter as she waited for the kettle to boil. "But it was still lovely. We stayed at the beach where we met."

"How romantic." Ana sighed. "Can I help with anything? Make some sandwiches?"

"Already have those made." Luna smiled, putting some cups and saucers on the tray. "You could get them from the fridge, if you wish. Top shelf, covered with some plastic wrap. Oh, and take the stasis charm off, too."

"Alright." Ana got up, opening the fridge and getting the tray of sandwiches. "They look delicious."

"I do hope there's enough." Luna smiled, pouring tea in their cups, as well as two smaller ones. The latter she set on a small tray, along with a few sandwiches and cookies.

"I'll be back in a moment." She said to Ana. "Elizabeth likes to have tea in her room, and I'm sure she'll be happy to entertain Marcus. You know, she loves it when you and the children come to visit."

"I do hope Marcus doesn't make any more trouble." Ana frowned, turning her head and listening intently.

"You can't worry about that." Luna said, picking up the small tray and heading to Elizabeth's room. "We have to let them sort it out. It'll be fine, trust me."

After a moment, she returned, and set the tray on the table, beckoning to Ana with one finger. Puzzled, she quietly followed Luna down the short hallway. Luna turned, holding one finger up to her lips to command silence, and then pointed into the room.

Marcus was sitting on the floor leaning against the bed, Elizabeth sitting virtually in his lap as he read to her, her head resting on his shoulder as she listened intently.

They quietly returned to the kitchen, Luna picking the tray up that she had prepared for the children. Ana sat back down, picking up her cup and taking a sip of tea.

"Still think they'll fight?" The younger woman asked, smiling at her.

"No." Ana said, frowning. "So long as Marcus behaves himself. I just don't understand why he acts out so when she's around."

"Isn't it obvious?" Luna smirked. "He likes her. He wants her attention. Haven't you noticed how he watches her?"

"Preposterous."

"Not really. If you watch them together, he acts out more when Elizabeth isn't paying him any attention. It's worse when Nina's around, because Elizabeth likes to play with her more than Marcus. He gets jealous when he doesn't have her attention."

"They are children, Luna." Ana scoffed, cutting her eyes at the younger witch. "They don't think like that."

"Then don't worry so much about it, Mum." Luna grinned, walking down the hall with the tea tray. "They're fine."

oOo

August 28, 2010~

"Where is she?" Severus said as he came into their sitting room.

"She's in her room." Ana said, glancing up from the essays she was grading when Severus came in. "She didn't want to talk to me about it."

"I figured as much." He sighed, setting his briefcase down beside his armchair in the sitting room. He leaned down to kiss her on her cheek. "I take it the sorting didn't suit her?"

"No, and she was rather upset." She sighed. "Go and see if you can get her sorted out before dinner, alright?"

He nodded, heading toward the bedrooms.

"Nina?" Severus said, knocking on his oldest daughter's bedroom door.

"Go away." Nina responded, her voice punctuated with sniffles.

"Sweetheart, it isn't the end of the world." He said gently. "Can I come in to talk to you?"

"I suppose so." She sighed. "I'll get the door."

"_Alohomora_." Severus said, opening the door after it unlocked. "No need, dear."

Walking over to her bed, he sat down next to his eleven year old daughter, putting his arm around her.

"Your Mum tells me you're upset about the sorting." He said softly, giving her a gentle hug. "I can understand why you might be."

"Daddy, you were Slytherin head of house for years!" She sobbed, fresh tears streaming down her cheeks. "How could the hat be so wrong? I even asked it to put me in Slytherin, and it told me 'that would not do!' How could it do such a thing, after I told it where I wanted to be?"

"Well, the Sorting Hat does have a mind of its own, dear." Severus sighed, gathering her into his arm as she sobbed freely into his black robed chest. "If it put you in Ravenclaw, it must have a very good reason for it, especially if you asked it to put you in Slytherin. It does take your wishes into account, but it has never been wrong, as far as I know."

"But I wanted you to be proud of me, Daddy." Nina sniffled. "I wanted to be in Slytherin, too."

"I'll always be proud of you, Nina." He smiled affectionately at her as he hugged her. "No matter what house you're in, because you're my daughter, my first born child, and I dearly love you. Now, let's go get some dinner."

Nina hugged her father back, wiping at her reddened eyes, and nodded.

oOo

February 3, 2011~

"Oh, how precious." Headmistress McGonagall said softly, looking down into the crib. "The blonde is quite alert, isn't she? Look at those blue eyes! What are their names?"

"The blonde is Aneira Ginerva," John whispered back, tucking the blanket around her a bit better. "The one with the reddish hair is Caronwyn…Caronwyn Minerva."

"I…I really don't know what to say." Minerva said, blushing.

"Well, you've been very much a part of our lives, all of us, Headmistress."

A rustling in the bed nearby reminded them that they were not alone.

"I'm not asleep, you two." Luna yawned wearily, looking over at them. "Not that I exactly feel like going dancing right now."

"Of course not, dear." Minerva chuckled, patting her gently on the arm. "You've done a full day's work, haven't you?"

"Oh, to be sure." Luna nodded, glancing over at John and giving him a dreamy smirk. "Let's not do this again real soon, hm?"

"Indeed. This is the kind of surprise I'd rather not have again."

The door swung open and Ana came in, still brushing floo ash off her traveling robes, Severus close behind her.

"Sorry it took us so long, we were in Brno when we got the owl." Ana said, walking over to the crib to join Minerva. "Oh, Merlin, they are so adorable…she has Luna's eyes, doesn't she…and…oh, my, the other, she going to have some very red hair, isn't she."

Turning to the bed, she walked over and took Luna's hand.

"How are you faring, dear? I'm so sorry I wasn't here for you-"

"It's alright, Ana." Luna said softly. "We didn't think my labor would start before you left. I'm sorry, but the potions Poppy gave me are making me sleepy."

"Oh, don't fret, dear." Ana smiled, brushing a stray lock of hair from Luna's eyes. "You have every reason to be sleepy; you've done a lot of work tonight."

Luna smiled sleepily, giving John's hand an affectionate squeeze.

oOo

August 27, 2012~

"A chip off the old block, I'd say…but very smart, a double dose from Dad and Mum…rather fearful of magical creatures, but all the same…Slytherin!"

Marcus smirked as he took off the sorting hat, handing it to his mother as she waited on the next student. Giving her a smile, he walked toward the Slytherin table, his new fellow housemates eyeing him with a mixture of interest, approval, and disdain.

Following the sorting, the feast began, the house elves scurrying in with platters heaped high with food. After things has settled down somewhat, Severus leaned over toward Ana, putting his lips close to her ear and casting _silenceo_ on both of them.

"You're upset." He said softly.

"I'm not." She hissed back, the minute twitch in her lips betraying her.

"Nonsense. I could see the change in you when the Sorting Hat made its decision. You looked as if you were being forced to feed him to the wolves."

She said nothing, only a slight trembling of her chin giving her inner turmoil away.

"You know as well as I, with his 'Uncle' John being Head of Slytherin house, nothing will happen to him. John dotes on that boy."

"Did you see how they looked at him?" Ana said, turning to look at him. "Comparing them to wolves is a bit too accurate for my comfort."

"Trust me," Severus said calmly, taking her hand. "That's how Slytherins look at every new member of their house. My portrait still hangs in their common room as a past Head of House; they know my reputation quite well. They might test Marcus, but they would not dare harm him."

oOo

March 5, 2013~

"This is foolishness."

"Give it a chance, Pansy." Neville said, carefully matching his pace to hers. She held onto his arm as she made her way along the path to the headmaster's office at the Earlton Children's Home. A huge lawn, neatly manicured, provided several children ample room to play between classes, and several were evidently out doing just that, their laughter and shouts ebbing and flowing on the beautiful spring day.

"I need to rest, dear." She sighed, tugging him toward a bench in the garden. "Just a moment, just need to catch my breath."

He carefully helped her over to the bench, gently helping her lower herself to sit down. Pansy took out a hanky and dabbed at her brow as she struggled to recover. Neville knelt in front of her and gently rubbed the cramping muscles in her legs.

"I'm so tired of being so weak, Neville." She said, putting the hanky away. "You shouldn't have to half-carry me everywhere. I need to do for myself."

"I don't mind, darling." He said, sitting down next to her and putting his arm around her.

Down the hill from where they sat on the bench, several children, all residents of the orphanage, were laughing, playing some sort of game. Neville smiled at Pansy.

"We'll find a deserving child who needs parents, dear. We just need to keep looking."

"I'm not so sure, Neville." She sighed, looking around the garden. "Maybe we should see another Healer, or a specialist. There must be something wrong with me-"

Abruptly she stiffened, and then fumbled for her crutches, swearing a rather profane oath under her breath as she struggled to stand.

"Pansy, what's the matter?" Neville asked, helping her up. She shrugged his hand off her arm, striking off across the grass to the group of children, Neville trailing behind her.

As she approached the group of children, Pansy's face clouded over with anger.

"You there! Stop it!" She shouted, her voice amplified by a quickly cast _sonorous_ charm. "You lot stop that this instant! I mean it! Leave her alone now!"

The children scattered, some fleeing all the way to the orphanage building, a few straggling behind. Pansy muttered a few more swear words under her breath as she laboriously made her way down the hill to the one child who had remained behind.

She was cowering on the ground, covering her head with her arms, trembling. When she reached her, Pansy knelt next to her, wincing at the pain in her legs as she carefully lowered herself to the grass.

"It's alright, dear." She said, picking up the child's teddy, brushing dirt and grass off of it before offering it to her. The little girl cautiously looked up at Pansy, her green eyes warily appraising her rescuer. Hesitantly, she accepted the teddy bear.

"Are you a new teacher?" The girl asked shyly in a faint whisper, looking up at her.

Pansy shook her head.

"My husband and I," She said, nodding toward Neville, who smiled nervously, "are here to see if we can find a child to adopt…since it seems that we can't have any for some reason. Why were those other children picking on you?"

Tears began to well up in the little girl's eyes.

"My mommy was a Muggle." She whispered miserably, her freckled cheeks coloring. "They said I'm a squib. I can't do magic. They say that nobody would want me."

Pansy sat on the ground next to her, her mouth agape in horror, her eyes wide.

Carefully, wincing slightly as she did, the little auburn haired girl got up, clutching her teddy tightly.

"Thank you for rescuing me." She said, giving Pansy a shy grin, which quickly faded. "But it doesn't matter. They'll be back after me soon enough. They always are."

Pansy watched as she walked away, heading toward a dormitory.

"Wait!" She shouted, struggling to get up as Neville helped her to stand. "Wait, come back!"

The girl stopped, turning to her with a frown.

"I want to adopt you." Pansy said breathlessly, struggling toward the girl on her crutches.

"You just feel sorry for me." The girl said softly, looking at her feet.

"No, that's not it." Pansy said, finally reaching her. "I don't like those kids picking on you. I want to adopt you. You need a family, whether you can do magic or not. What is your name?"

"Sophie. Sophie Maynard." The little girl said shyly, and then frowned, looking at Pansy's crutches. "What's wrong with your legs?"

"I had an accident. I was paralyzed, but I got better."

"What does 'paralyzed' mean?"

"It means that the nerves that controlled my body didn't work. It took a long time to heal."

"They used magic to heal it, didn't they?" Sophie said softly, a sad look in her eyes. "They couldn't heal my mummy and daddy. They died anyway."

"How old are you, sweetheart?" Neville asked gently, kneeling on the grass so he was more at her level.

"Six." The tiny little girl whispered, so softly that both of them barely heard her as she mumbled it from behind her teddy, shrinking back from him.

"Sophie, this is my husband, Neville." Pansy said, putting her hand on his arm. "He's very big and strong, but he's really as gentle as a teddy bear."

Sophie's eyes were still wide and uncertain as she looked up at Neville, her lips pursed in doubt.

oOo

"Ah, Mr. &amp; Mrs. Longbottom!" Headmaster William Hemsley said, rising from his desk to greet them as the secretary ushered them into his office. He was a short energetic man, who quickly rounded his desk to help Pansy to a comfortable seat on the couch that took up half his office space, it seemed.

"Well, now," Hensley went on as he took his seat. "Would you care for tea? Jenny, please, tea for the four of us, you too, dear. Now Mrs. Longbottom, I have several folders here for you and your husband to look through, good candidates all-"

"I want Sophie Maynard." Pansy said quietly, drawing a surprised look from both Neville and Headmaster Hensley.

"Um, yes…I don't think I have her file here-"

"It doesn't matter. I've met her on the grounds, and I can't leave without her."

Hensley looked over at Jenny, who had just walked back in with the tea service, a tray of tea sandwiches and biscuits floating along behind her.

"Um…Jenny, would you please pull Sophie Maynard's files?" Hensley said, with a nervous glance at Pansy. "Thank you, dear."

"Headmaster, is there something we need to know about her?" Neville asked quietly.

"Well…I hate to break it to you like this, but…" The Headmaster swallowed, and then pressed onward. "Sophie…her father was half-blood and her mother a Muggle. I fear she's a…a squib. Not a bit of magic in her-"

"She told us that." Pansy said, anger beginning to creep into her voice, to the point that Neville carefully put a restraining hand on hers. She intertwined her fingers with his, breaking off her glaring at Hensley for just a moment to give her husband a smile.

"Headmaster," She began, composing herself, "I know that she's a squib. She just told us so herself. My question for you is, how does she know that she is? Did someone here tell her? And just what are you doing, testing children younger than age eight for magical ability? And a Muggle child at that?"

"Pansy." Neville said softly, squeezing her hand gently. "Ease up a bit, darling. At least until I get feeling back in my hand."

With a start, she realized she'd been gripping Neville's fingers so tightly they had begun to turn white. With a blush, Pansy released his hand, murmuring a quiet apology to him as the secretary bustled back into the room.

Accepting the file with a murmured word of thanks, the Headmaster began leafing through it.

"Now, for your information, Mrs. Longbottom," Hensley said, thumbing through the many sheets of paper in the folder, "We do not test for magical ability before age eight, as is required by Wizarding Law. Sophie, however, was a most unusual case."

"How so, Headmaster?" Pansy asked, accepting a cup of tea from Jenny.

"Ah, here it is." Hensley said triumphantly. "The Muggle accident report. You don't have to read the whole of it, just the last few lines of the investigating officer's summary."

Hesitantly, Pansy accepted the papers, flipping through the few pages until she reached the summary.

…_divers assisted Holmes &amp; Son wrecker service with recovery of the vehicle. This officer was present when the doors of the vehicle were opened. Through some means unknown, the 1-2 year old female child in the car seat was uninjured and completely dry, despite the interior of the car being filled with water. No plausible explanation is possible at this time…_

Pansy looked up to find Hensley watching her and Neville closely.

"But that's not possible! How…" She stammered.

"How, indeed." The Headmaster said quietly, sipping his tea. "Now do you understand why her file is so thick? As well as why I tested her not once, but several times for magical ability?"

Pansy shook her head, as if to clear it.

"You suspected that she has magical ability, didn't you?" Neville asked, leaning forward, his tea forgotten. "I take it you did the standard Mershon-Barker standardized test?"

"I did." Hensley nodded gravely. "Several times, in fact. Also the Baker Simulation. No result. If it wouldn't have been for the Muggle accident report, I would have written her off as a squib. It's most perplexing."

"Indeed." Neville said, taking a sip of tea. "She doesn't know any of this, does she?"

"No. I thought it best to pretend that the tests meant nothing, but somehow, the other children got wind of it-"

"The other children." Patsy said quietly, with a dangerous edge in her voice. "We saw how the other children treat her. That's part of why we want her."

"I'm sorry you had to see that." Hensley said, holding a hand up to calm her. "We can't be everywhere, protecting them against everything."

"Neither can I," Pansy snapped, "but at least she won't be bullied in my home. I promised her that she could come home with us, and I intend to keep my promise to her!"

"Dear, please, calm down." Neville said gently, taking her hand.

"Neville, I want her." Pansy said urgently, turning to him. "I'd take her home right now if they'd let us!"

Hensley looked at her for a long moment, pursing his lips, and then turned to his secretary with a sigh of resignation.

"Jenny, would you please fetch Miss Sophie Maynard to my office?" He said, rubbing his temples with a frustrated sigh. His assistant left the room.

"You know, Mrs. Longbottom," Hensley sighed, "She has a rather difficult road ahead of her. She may have magic, she may not…and when it might manifest, in usable form, it's hard to predict."

"All the same, Headmaster," Pansy said quietly, carefully gripping Neville's hand once more with her own, "We'll still love her and give her everything she needs. Whether she can do magic or not."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Chapter 42~

August 27, 2015~

"Ravenclaw!" crowed the Sorting hat proudly, drawing a big grin from the auburn-haired girl wearing it. Professor Romanov-Snape smiled, taking the hat and giving the student an affectionate pat on her shoulder.

"Good luck, Elizabeth." She whispered to the girl as she got up to join her new housemates, holding the hat for the next student.

"Thank you, Professor." Elizabeth Worthington said softly, giving Ana a big smile, and then walking toward the Ravenclaw table.

She paused only to wave at her mother, who was sitting at the staff table next to her dad. Luna waved back, and John nodded in approval. As she reached the Ravenclaw table, Nina Snape rose to greet her, smiling and embracing her.

"We're going to have so much fun together, Elizabeth!" Nina said, leading her to an empty seat. "I'll help you with your studies, especially with potions…"

Marcus Snape sullenly stared at the table, surrounded by his Slytherin housemates. Tad Wiggins elbowed him, grinning.

"'ow about that, Marcus?" He sneered, "Ravenclaw's got them another ginger! Reckon the drapes match the curtains?"

As the bigger boy turned to his housemate, laughing at his own joke, Marcus knocked him out of his chair.

oOo

"I'm very sorry, Headmistress."

"You should be!" Ana said angrily, her gray eyes flashing as she loomed over her son in his chair. "Of all the-starting a brawl during the sorting ceremony!"

"Easy, Ana." Minerva said calmly, sitting behind her desk. "I'm sure Marcus had good reason for punching Mr. Wiggins, didn't you, lad?"

Marcus eyed the Headmistress nervously, holding the icepack on his left eye.

"Well?" His mother said, standing over him with her hands on her hips, paying no mind to her husband putting a restraining hand on her shoulder. "Out with it, then? What possessed you to hit another member of your house, out of the blue like that?"

Marcus said nothing, shifting his gaze to the floor.

"Severus! Tell him to answer the headmistress." Ana said, cheeks flushed with anger, her fists clenched as she glared over at her husband.

Snape leaned against the mantel, lips pursed as he watched their son. Marcus glanced at him warily, and then looked down at the floor again, examining the intricate pattern in the Persian rug there.

"Enough, Ana." Minerva said quietly, holding up one hand. "If you don't mind, I'd like to talk to Marcus alone. I think he might be more forthcoming if he could speak to me privately. Do you trust me to handle this, Professor?"

Ana's mouth worked for a moment, then after a brief hesitation, she nodded.

"We trust your judgment in this matter, Headmistress." She said, though somewhat reluctantly. Severus, nodded to Minerva, and then ushered his wife out of the room, closing the door behind them.

Minerva waited until the door closed, and their footsteps faded down the stairwell, and then leaned forward, fixing Marcus with her sharp gaze.

"Well?" She asked, watching him closely. "I know you have a good reason for what you did, Marcus. I know you well enough that I doubt it was an accident. Why did you hit Wiggins?"

"Because…because of what he said, Headmistress."

"Did he say something that offended you?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"What was it, lad?"

"I…I can't really say, ma'am." Marcus said, squirming a bit in his chair. "It was…very rude."

"Was it about you?"

"Um…uh, no, Headmistress."

"Someone else, then."

"Yes, ma'am."

Minerva sighed deeply, pursing her lips.

"You know, I should just give you detention, with Filch. But I know you, and I have a feeling that Wiggins deserved that punch in the nose. Who did he say something about that offended you?"

"Um…I…someone I care for, ma'am. That's all I can really tell you. It was…not something you would say about a lady."

"I see. Was it your mum? Or someone else…" Minerva frowned thoughtfully. "A girl you're sweet on, perhaps?"

Marcus blushed, looking at his shoes.

Minerva smiled.

"Go on, then, lad." She said gently. "Do try to stay out of trouble from now on. For appearances' sake, you have 3 evenings detention with your mum, but that shouldn't be too bad for you."

Marcus looked up, a glum expression on his face.

"You don't know my Mum that well, Headmistress." He said.

"How about your Head of House?" Minerva asked, barely able to suppress a smirk. "Professor Worthington won't be too bad, will he?"

"No, ma'am. I'd much prefer spending detention with him than my Mum."

oOo

October 11, 2017~

"Marcus." Elizabeth Worthington sighed, hefting her armload of books and blowing an errant curl of auburn hair out of her face as she looked up at him. "I'm surprised to see you without your loyal groupies."

"Elizabeth." Marcus Snape smirked, leaning on the wall, his arm blocking her path. He towered over her by nearly a foot, being nearly as tall as her father, who was 6' 3".

"May I pass?" She sighed, gritting her teeth. Because her arms were full, getting to her wand to hex him was out of the question. Classes had just let out for the day a few minutes ago, and the hallways were clogged with students rushing to do other things than schoolwork, for it was finally the weekend.

"I wanted to talk to you, if you don't mind."

She glared up at him with her blue eyes, peering up at him through unruly ringlets of auburn hair.

"You have such marvelous timing, Marcus." She hissed, fighting the temptation to kick him in the shin, as she had so many times through the years. "I need to take these books back to the library before it closes, otherwise I'll have to pay a fine for them being late. You know how strict Madam Pince is."

"Then let me take them back for you." He said with a smirk. "Grandmother won't charge me a fine."

"How would that work, you dummy?" She snapped, shifting the stack of books to ease the weight on her arms. "I checked them out!"

"Tell you what, Lizzie." He smirked, "I'll help you carry the books, and we can talk on the way."

"As if I'd ever be seen with you!" She snapped angrily, pushing her way past him.

Marcus deftly took half of the books from the top of her stack as she passed, falling into step with her.

"Hey!" Elizabeth sputtered in protest, her cheeks coloring.

"Don't blow a gasket, Lizzie." Marcus said as she tried to keep pace with him, a troublesome problem given her shorter legs. "I'm just helping you take these back."

"Don't call me Lizzie." She hissed, her eyes glaring daggers up at him. "You know how much I hate that."

"So what would you rather I call you?" He said, grinning at her. "Elizabeth is quite a mouthful. How about Beth? Betsy? Betty?"

"Miss Worthington." She said coldly, walking briskly to keep up with him. "You may not use my first name. We aren't that close."

They moved to one side of the crowded hallway as a crowd of first-years came by, rudely forcing them against the stone wall.

"Elizabeth, we've grown up together." Marcus smirked. "I've even seen you naked-"

Elizabeth felt her cheeks burning with embarrassment; made all the worse by a couple of the first-year girls giggling when they overheard Marcus' statement.

"Marcus Snape, you jerk!" She shouted furiously, hitting him with her stack of books, and then picking up the heaviest one to hit him again. "How dare you?! That was years ago, and we were children!"

Laughing, he easily dodged her blows, snagging the book away from her like the experienced Quiddich seeker he was, tucking it under one arm as he held her off with the other. Sputtering in rage, Elizabeth futilely tried to hit him with her fists, only succeeding in making him laugh harder. Adding to her distress was the failure of one of her hair clips, as well as several of the first-years who had stopped and stayed to watch the spectacle. At least, they watched until they abruptly scattered, fleeing down the hallway.

"Marcus Remus Gregori Snape!" Snapped a voice from down the hallway, freezing them both in their tracks. Marcus turned quite pale, slowly and carefully handing Elizabeth the book back.

Professor Romanov-Snape was walking rapidly toward them, fire flashing in her gray eyes as she swooped down on her son like a hawk.

"What is going on here?" She snapped, glaring daggers at her son.

"Mum…I…I was just helping Elizabeth carry these books to the library, and she hit me-"

"What else, Marcus?" Ana said skeptically, crossing her arms as she glared up at him. "I know Elizabeth well enough that I know she wouldn't hit you without a good reason."

"I…I made her mad." Marcus sighed. "I was just teasing her, Mum."

"Elizabeth, I apologize for my son's behavior." Ana sighed, turning to her. "Is that the truth of what happened?"

"Yes, Professor Romanov-Snape." Elizabeth nodded, struggling to tuck her hair back in place and fasten her hair clip. "It just got out of hand. He didn't mean anything by it, really."

Ana pursed her lips skeptically, considering what Elizabeth had just told her, and then looked at Marcus.

"Marcus?"

"Mum, I-"

"What does a gentleman do in a situation like this?" Ana said sharply, her eyes narrowing, making it clear she would not be trifled with. Stepping over to Elizabeth, she helped fix her hair, drawing a smile of gratitude from the girl.

"I…" Marcus sighed, and then turned to Elizabeth. "I'm sorry I was rude to you and that I teased you, Miss Worthington. I hope you will accept my heartfelt apology."

"I accept your apology, Mr. Snape." Elizabeth said formally. "Will you still help me take these books to the library, Sir?"

"It would be my pleasure to help you, Miss Worthington."

"Much better." Ana said, turning to walk away. As she passed Marcus, she patted his arm.

"I'm watching you." She said softly, pointing upward with a gloved finger. "Mind your manners."

As she walked off, Elizabeth, puzzled, looked up. Ivan, the Potions Professor's owl, was preening himself casually, his amber eyes watching them as they stood below his perch. She looked back at Marcus, who was picking up the books, a glum expression on his face.

"Sometimes I hate that bloody owl." He muttered.

"I'm sorry you got in trouble, Marcus." She said softly.

"Don't worry about it; it's not your fault." He sighed. "I have to behave myself; with that owl of hers around I don't dare take a step out of line. She knows everything."

As he stood up to walk toward the library, she gave him a sympathetic look, and then fell in behind him.

Silently, Marcus and Elizabeth walked down the hallway, Ivan gliding along above them. She smirked a bit, as Marcus had picked up most of the books, leaving her only a couple to carry.

"Thanks for not telling Mum what I said." Marcus said quietly, when they were nearly to the library. "She would have boxed my ears good otherwise."

"Perhaps you shouldn't have said what you did, then." Elizabeth replied lightly. "You tend not to think before you speak, Marcus. It gets you in trouble."

"I never know what to say to you, Elizabeth." He frowned, stopping near the library door. "It always comes out wrong. It's like I got off on the wrong foot with you from the first day we met, and I never can make it right."

"What are you talking about, Marcus?" She said, puzzled.

"I…um," He said blushing deeply, "the Christmas ball is coming up in a few months. Do you want to go with me?"

Elizabeth stood there looking up at him, feeling a bit lightheaded. Blinking, she reminded herself to breathe.

"I…let me think about it, Marcus." She said, stalling for time. "I…I haven't been asked by anyone yet, and I hadn't even thought about going…I don't even have a dress for it -"

"It's okay." He sighed, discouragement written all over his face. "Look, I'll just take these books in and put them on the librarian's desk for you. You don't need me to help you get them checked in."

_Oh, Marcus_, she thought, _I want to go with you, but I never thought you wanted me to go with you…_

Silently, they walked into the library. Marcus walked directly up to the librarian's desk, ringing the call bell several times.

"Just a minute, I'm coming-"

With a smirk at Elizabeth, he rang it three more times.

"Oh, for Merlin's sakes! When I get out there, I'm going to-"

Madam Pince came out of her office, her face lighting up when she saw them.

"Marcus, you scamp, I should have known that was you wearing my bell out." She sighed, patting her hair back into place. "Elizabeth, how are you, dear?"

"Fine, Madame Pince. I'm sorry I was so tardy returning these-"

"Oh, don't worry." The librarian said, scowling at Marcus as she checked the books in. "I know you well enough I think I can let it go this time. You take care of my books, unlike some students."

"Thank you, Madam Pince."

"You're welcome, dear. Now, go on, so I can close the library in time to go to dinner, and take that scamp with you."

Elizabeth was glad to see that the hallway was virtually deserted when they walked out, Marcus closing the massive door of the library behind them. She stopped him before he walked off by putting her hand on his arm.

"Marcus, I'll go with you." She said softly. "I just need to make sure it's okay with my parents first."

"Alright." He smiled shyly. "I didn't want to go with anyone else, you know."

oOo

June 11, 2018~

"What are you so glum about?" Fiona asked Marcus, who was sitting by the lake, watching the sunlight lap at the water.

"Leave me alone, Fi." He sighed irritably.

Slipping off her shoes, she slipped her feet into the water, giggling a bit when the giant squid brushed her feet with a curious tentacle.

"Just go away, sis." Marcus scowled, lying back in the grass and closing his eyes. "I don't want to talk right now."

"You miss her, don't you?"

"Who?"

"You know who, don't play dumb." She smirked. "Your girlfriend. The girl who went on holiday for the summer in Italy. Elizabeth."

"Go away, Fi." He said irritably, rolling over on his tummy, turning his head away from his tormentor.

Fiona sighed, turning back to the lake and wiggling her toes in the water. The squid brushed her feet again, causing her to giggle again.

"I should go swimming; Squidric is in a playful mood today." She said, smiling as she stroked the huge tentacle with her toes.

"Squidric?" Marcus frowned, sitting up in alarm. "You mean that monster? Where?"

"Calm down, Marcus. He won't hurt you."

"I'm not going near that water." He replied, laying back down on the grass.

With a sigh, she pulled her feet out of the water, picking up her shoes and walking over to her brother. Fiona deliberately stood where her shadow would fall across his face, knowing full well it would annoy him.

"I know you're there, Fi." He sighed, rolling back over on his tummy. "I still don't want to talk."

"I know that, Marcus." She said, sitting down in the grass next to him. "You want to see Elizabeth."

Closing his eyes, he steadfastly ignored her.

"What if I told you there was a way for you to see her?" She said, lightly tickling his ear with a blade of grass. "Mum and Dad won't be home for a week. They'd never know."

"Cut it out, Fi!" He snapped, rolling onto his back to swat her hand away. "There isn't any way. I don't even know where they went in Italy, so it's not like I can go there. I can't apparate that far, anyway, and Mum and Dad would be furious if I went."

Leaning down close to his ear, she smirked.

"I know exactly where she is." Fiona purred, drawing back when he turned his head to look at her, an incredulous expression on his face.

"How would you know?" Marcus scoffed, frowning. "I don't even think Dad knows, and he knows everything."

"Oh he does, as does Mum." She smirked, laying back in the grass next to him and shading her eyes. "You don't think the Worthingtons would leave home without letting them know where, do you?"

_Perhaps I should have put on some sunscreen_, she sighed inwardly. _I'm sure to have sunburn…but this is going to be so worth it._

"So, miss smarty-pants, where is she at?" He sighed, sitting up and glaring at her.

"Manarola."

"Where the heck is that?" Marcus asked, confused.

"It's a little town on the western coast of Italy, between Corniglia and Riomaggiore, just north of La Spezia."

"How do you know?"

"Elizabeth told me before she left." Fiona smirked, reaching into her pocket, her hand closing around a small object.

"So, why are you telling me this?" Marcus scowled. "Just rubbing salt in the wound?"

"No, though it is tempting." She sighed. "You should be nicer to me. I'm telling you this because she asked me to, though I have no idea why. She asked me to give you this."

With that, she took her hand out of her pocket, holding it out with her hand closed.

"What's this, then?" He said, eyeing her hand warily.

"I can't say." Fiona sighed. "But Elizabeth asked me to give it to you, when you'd come to your senses. Or have you not?"

"Fine." He snapped, holding his hand out. "But it better not be a trick."

She dropped the seashell she was holding lightly into his hand. For a moment, he stared at it blankly.

"A seashell?" He finally said, frowning. "What the heck, Fi?"

Deftly, she reached up and touched the shell with her wand.

"_Portus_." She smirked, as Marcus vanished in a swirl of smoke.

Getting up, she walked to the castle, humming quietly to herself in satisfaction. Walking inside and turning toward the dungeons, she was nearly skipping along the hallway, looking forward to afternoon tea and a good book.

"Fiona."

The girl stopped in her tracks, an icy chill running down her spine as her Grandmother materialized from the shadows, quietly walking up behind her.

"What are you up to?" Madam Pince said in a dangerously soft voice. "And just where is your brother off to?"

"Um, I…" Fiona stammered nervously.

"Where did you send him, anyway?"

"Elizabeth gave me a seashell, and asked me to give it-"

"Fiona, do not insult my intelligence by lying to me." Madam Pince sighed. "I know what books you checked out, and it wasn't difficult to figure out that you were fooling around with making a portkey. I was watching from the Astronomy tower, and saw everything. I hope for your sake that it worked correctly, and that we can get Marcus back here before your parents get home from the Potions Society Conference in Beijing."

"But Nana-"

"Don't you 'Nana' me, young lady." Her grandmother snapped. "You'd better hope he's alright. I've had about enough of your pranks, Fiona."

oOo

He stood on the street corner, blinking in the summer sun, as people walked by him, some glancing at him out of curiosity.

_Merlin's beard_, he thought furiously to himself, looking around in a panic. _Gods only know where I'm at now. Just wait till I get my hands on Fi. I'll-_

"Pardon me, young man." An older wizard said, tapping him on the arm. "You seem somewhat lost. Could I help you?"

"Um, yes, Sir." Marcus said, looking around him for anything familiar. "Can you tell me where I'm at?"

"Oh, of course!" The wizard laughed. "You are in Manarola, standing next to the Via Renato Birolli."

_By Merlin, Fiona did it_, Marcus thought, his jaw slack in shock. _She sent me to Manarola. My sister made a working portkey, and she's only a second year…_

"Are you alright, young man?"

"What? Uh, yes, Sir." He said, faking a smile. "First time using a Portkey, Sir."

"Ah, I see!" The wizard laughed. "Well, was there supposed to be someone meeting you here?"

"Well, no…actually." Marcus said, struggling to think of what to do next, putting his hands in his robe pockets nervously. He frowned, pulling his left hand out and unfolding a bit of parchment.

_You'll find the Worthingtons at Affittacamere San Giorgio, Riomaggiore __Via Discovolo 280, Manarola, Riomaggiore. Love, Fi._

Marcus read it several times, not sure if his eyes were fooling him.

_She must have slipped this in my pocket before she activated the portkey_, he realized, staring at the parchment.

Looking at it numbly, he held it out to the old wizard, who squinted at it, then fished out a set of reading glasses to examine it.

"Hm…yes, I think I know right where this is." He mumbled, handing the slip back to Marcus. "Take my arm, I'll take you there. Are you comfortable with side-along apparition?"

"Um, yes, Sir. I've done it with my Dad and Mum many times."

"You don't get sick, do you?"

"Never, sir." He grinned. "I'm a Seeker on my house Quiddich team."

"Ah, excellent. I was a Beater, myself, a long time ago." The wizard chuckled, holding his arm out. "Edwin Muldoon, at your service. Are you ready?"

"Yes, Sir." Marcus said, taking the man's arm firmly.

With a _pop_, they vanished.

They reappeared in a narrow street, in front of an old, brightly painted building. A plaque on the front read: _Affittacamere San Giorgio_. Marcus stared up at it nervously, unsure what to do next.

_I don't even have any money with me_, he realized. _Not even a knut. I could be in big trouble here._

"You don't know what to do next, do you?" Muldoon said, smiling kindly. "Who are you looking for again, young man?"

"Um, you don't happen to know where the Worthington family might be staying, would you?"

Muldoon laughed.

"Who doesn't in this sleepy little town, young man?" He replied. "They rented the top two floors, as big as their family is. Mr. Worthington, his wife, and the four children, along with Mr. Lovegood. Those twin girls, they are precious. Non-identical twins, how about that?"

"Um, yes, Sir." Marcus said, eyeing the hotel. "I'm…well, I was…sort of seeing the oldest daughter. She and I…"

"Oh, my…young love." Muldoon sighed, and then smiled. "Well, you'll probably need to go in, and find the manager's apartment to find them, but then again, you could just go up to the top floors and start knocking on doors-"

"Marcus? What on earth are you doing here?"

The two men turned to see Elizabeth Worthington, her family behind her, walking up to the hotel. She was still wet from swimming at the beach, a towel wrapped around her as she stared open-mouthed at him, her eyes wide with surprise.

John was carrying Aneira, who was fast asleep, while Luna herded six-year old Ian along as she talked to her father, who was carrying Caronwyn. Looking up when Elizabeth stopped in front of them, Luna spotted Marcus.

"Marcus! Did your family come down to visit your Grandfather?" Luna asked, smiling at him.

"Um, no…Ma'am." He said, beginning to feel rather nauseous. "Mum and Dad…they're in Beijing, at a Potions Society convention."

_I am so screwed when Mum finds out_, he sighed inwardly. _Thanks a bunch for all the help, Fi. I'm going to be grounded for life._

"Darling, I'm going to go on up and put the twins to bed." John said softly, winking at Marcus as he passed by. "Are you coming?"

"In a moment, dear." Luna said, patting Ian on his shoulder. "Sweetie, would you go with Grandpa and Daddy? I need to talk to Elizabeth and Marcus for a moment."

"Aw, Mum-" Ian pouted.

"No, go with them, sweetheart. I'll be up in a moment."

"Come on, Ian." Xenophilus smiled, "Let your Mum sort things out here."

When they had gone into the hotel, Luna turned to Elizabeth, her eyebrow raised.

"Well?" She said sternly. "I'm eager to hear your explanation for this, young lady. I'm sure it will be quite interesting."

"Mum, I'm just as surprised as you!" Elizabeth blushed. "He just turned up, out of nowhere!"

"Well, not exactly out of nowhere." Muldoon interjected politely. "Begging your pardon, Ma'am. I'm Edwin Muldoon, a retired wizard who lives here in town. I found this lad wandering the sidewalk up on the Via Renato Birolli, and he had a slip of parchment with this hotel's address on it, so I brought him here, thinking he had friends here."

"Thank you, Mr. Muldoon." Luna said, smiling. "This is my oldest daughter, Elizabeth, and her sometime boyfriend, Marcus Snape. I'm sure I'll find out just what is going on very soon here."

"It wasn't my fault, Mrs. Worthington!" Marcus blurted out. "I was tricked! Fiona gave me a seashell, and it turned out to be a portkey, and I found myself here, and-"

"Marcus," Luna sighed, putting her finger to his lips. "Marcus, slow down. Remember to breathe before you pass out, dear."

"Please, Mrs. Worthington, don't tell my folks." He begged. "Mum will kill me. She stays angry with me half the time as it is-"

"Marcus, because I know how Fiona is, I'm inclined to believe you." Luna smirked. "You don't have any money or spare clothes, do you?"

"No, Ma'am." Marcus admitted glumly, his eyes downcast.

"Well, how long are your parents going to be in Beijing?"

"I think they come back Monday next week."

"So we have five days, then." Luna observed. "Well, until we figure out how to get you back to Hogwarts, you can at least sleep on the couch in the sitting room."

"Mum!" Elizabeth gasped, shocked. "He said-"

"I don't care what he said to you last week at school, Elizabeth." Luna sighed. "He's the son of some dear friends, and I won't turn him out in the street. He's going to stay with us."

"And you two will be civil to each other." She said bluntly, glaring at both of them. "Or I'll pack you both back off to Hogwarts. I fully intend to enjoy my holiday."

With that, Luna walked off to the hotel. Elizabeth shot Marcus a cold look, and then with an irritated huff, she trudged along behind her mother, wrapping her towel more tightly around herself. After a moment, Marcus followed, feeling as if he were being led to the gallows.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Chapter 43~

_Later that evening~_

"Hey, Ana!" Luna said cheerfully as she knelt in front of the floo, peering into the green flames. "How's Beijing?"

"Kind of warm and humid." Ana's ghostly green face smiled. "Leave it to the Potions Society to hold a convention here in the summertime. The humidity is just awful. Thank Merlin; our hotel and the convention center have air conditioning. Otherwise, it's cooling and drying charms, all the time."

"I was calling to ask about something. Do you and Severus mind if Marcus comes to the beach with us in Manarola? We have plenty of room here."

Ana frowned for a moment, then smiled, shaking her head.

"I don't see why not." Turning away from the floo, she spoke to Severus, who was out of view. "Dear, do you see any problem with Marcus spending some time at the beach with Elizabeth and her family? It would make things easier for Mother, having him out from underfoot…and he and Fiona won't be fussing all the time."

"He says that's fine." Ana said after hearing Severus' response. "I take it that you or John will just apparate up to Hogwarts to get him?"

"Won't be necessary." Luna smiled, pulling a reluctant Marcus over where his mother could see him. "He's already here. See?"

"Mum, I can explain everything-" Marcus sputtered, turning rather red as he struggled without success against Luna's grip.

For a moment, Ana Romanov-Snape went as pale as a green-tinged floo image could.

"Stand aside, I'm coming through." She snapped, waving them out of the way.

"Oh, Merlin-" Marcus groaned, sitting on the couch in the sitting room, dropping his head into his hands.

"Now, just let me handle this, Marcus." Luna said, patting him on the shoulder. "It's not your fault, remember?"

At that moment, Ana stepped out of the fireplace, brushing the fine ash typical of floo travel off her scarlet robes.

"Young man, you'd better have a very good explanation-"

"Ana, please don't be angry with him." Luna said, holding her hands up as she stepped between them. "If you're going to be angry, I suggest that you talk to your youngest daughter. Evidently, she fancies herself quite the matchmaker."

"What?" Ana said, stunned. "Marcus, what has Fiona done now?

"She tricked me, Mum." Marcus said, nervously eyeing his mother. "She made a portkey to send me here. She found out where the Worthingtons went on holiday and sent me here."

Ana stood there, fuming, for nearly a full minute, looking first at Marcus, then at Luna, then at Elizabeth, who was hiding behind her mum.

Then she sighed, rubbing her eyes in irritation with a sigh, and then chuckled wearily.

"That girl…" She said, waving a hand in the general direction of Hogwarts, "…I swear by Merlin, she'll be the death of me. You could have ended up anywhere with a portkey made by a second-year!"

Reaching into the pocket of her robes, Ana pulled out a tiny change purse, using her wand to expand it. She pulled out a smaller bag, pressing it into Marcus' hands.

"There's 50 Galleons in there." She said as he took it, grabbing him and hugging him fiercely. "I'm just relieved that you're okay. It could have been much worse, I suppose. You could have been splinched."

She looked over at Luna, shrinking her purse and putting it back in her pocket.

"I don't think he would spend that much, but if he does happen to run out-"

"Oh, no need to worry, Ana." Luna laughed. "We'll take care of him; I doubt he'll need that much. We'll take him shopping tomorrow morning, get what he needs."

"Well, then." Ana said, giving Marcus a sharp look. "I expect some change back when you get home, young man. And you'd better behave yourself."

"Yes, Mum." Marcus nodded. "I will, I promise. I'm sorry about this."

"Don't worry about it; it's not your fault." His mother smiled. "You just need to be more cautious. Your sister, on the other hand…just wait till I see her."

With that, she gave Luna a hug, and then smiled at Elizabeth.

"See you later, then. Thanks for taking care of him for us, Luna."

"You're quite welcome, Professor."

With that, Ana tossed some floo powder into the fireplace, stepped into the floo and was gone.

Luna sighed, and then walked over to the armchair, sitting down with her feet tucked underneath her.

"Elizabeth." She said, pointing to the couch where Marcus sat. "Sit down."

"Mum, I don't-"

"Sit!" Luna snapped, blue eyes flashing. "Now."

Meekly, her daughter went to the couch and sat.

"Now, just so we understand the rules around here." Luna said quietly, "Marcus, you are seventeen years old, correct?"

"Yes, Ma'am." He replied, squirming uneasily on the couch.

"Elizabeth, you turned fourteen in May, right?"

Elizabeth nodded nervously.

"Just checking." Luna said, looking hard at both of them. "Had to make sure you two weren't around age seven or something. What happened between you? It seems like it was just yesterday that you were taking her to the Christmas Ball, and now, you hardly speak. You're behaving like children, and I want to know why."

Marcus leaned forward on the couch, clearing his throat slightly.

"Um…Mrs. Worthington, I…" He began, blushing. "I said something stupid to Elizabeth. She told me so, and I got angry about it. We argued…and it was all because I wouldn't admit I was wrong."

"Elizabeth, I'm sorry." He said, turning toward her. "I was stupid to say what I did, and doubly stupid for getting angry about you calling me on it. I'm really sorry."

Elizabeth looked down at her hands, and sighed.

"I forgive you, Marcus." She said softly. "You need to think before you speak, though. What you said was hurtful."

"I won't ask what it was." Luna said dryly. "That's between you two. I trust you can get this sorted out before bedtime, right?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Marcus nodded, joined in the nod by Elizabeth.

"You'll be sleeping on the couch out here, Marcus. It's pretty comfortable; I've taken a few naps on it already. Of course, we'll probably need to lengthen it a bit to accommodate your height."

"Yes, Ma'am." He nodded.

"Of course, Elizabeth's door will be warded at night." Luna said, getting up. "You, young lady, will be in bed by eleven. Is that understood?"

"Yes, Mum." Elizabeth sighed.

"Marcus, there's extra blankets in the hall closet." Luna said as she headed to the kitchen. "I'll get you a pillow when it gets closer to bedtime."

"Yes, Ma'am. Thank you."

oOo

For a long time, they just sat there on the couch, listening to Ian and her parents talk in the kitchen as they prepared dinner. Hesitantly, Marcus looked over at her.

"I am sorry about what I said, Elizabeth." He said shyly.

"I forgive you, Marcus." She replied, sighing deeply. "I just don't understand why you have to be so stubborn sometimes. It's okay to make mistakes; it's foolish not to correct them."

"That sounds like something your Mum would say."

"It is." She nodded, and then turned toward him on the couch. "You just need to think more, before you speak. You're so impulsive…and it makes me worry."

"For example?"

"When you're playing Quiddich." Elizabeth said, nervously toying with the tassels on a throw pillow. "Sometimes I just can't watch. You take such chances on your broom-"

"I know what I'm doing, Elizabeth."

"I know, but all it takes is a Beater missing a bludger, just once-"

"I know." He sighed. "I just get so focused on the game. I'm sorry that it worries you. I'll be more careful, okay?"

She nodded, biting her lip and hugging the pillow to her chest.

Cautiously, he held out his arm along the couch, unsure of how she might respond. She looked at it for a moment, chewing on her lower lip, then put aside the throw pillow and scooted over to sit next to him. With a sigh of contentment, she snuggled up to him, laying her head on his chest.

"Um…your Dad won't get mad if he happens to come in, will he?" Marcus asked uneasily, eyeing the doorway to the kitchen.

"No. Mom's already talked to him about us." She whispered, idly toying with a button on his shirt. "So long as someone doesn't walk in on us in mid-snog, there won't be a problem. The worst that will happen is that he and Grandpa will tease us about it."

"So, what's all this business with my little sister playing matchmaker, anyway?" He asked.

"No idea." Elizabeth shrugged. "She talks to me every once in a while at school, and she's been very friendly since we started dating. After we went to the Christmas Ball, she's hung out with me after classes most every day."

"That's how she does things." Marcus sighed. "Fiona makes friends with you, worms her way into your confidence, and then starts pulling strings. Mum's probably going to ground her for a month for this, maybe longer. I haven't seen Mum that mad for a long time."

"She didn't seem that angry." Elizabeth said, a puzzled look on her face.

"It's subtle with her." He said, hugging her gently to him. "I'll teach you how to spot the signs. You noticed that she was really angry with me, and then she wasn't? And then, she was all smiles, and then she said that bit about 'wait till I see her'?"

"Yes…"

"Fiona's in for it, I guarantee it. When Mum goes quiet like that, your fate is sealed. Unless Dad intervenes, which he very well might. Fi gets away with a lot of stuff because she's so crafty. Dad admires that."

"Well, she did get sorted into Slytherin." She said softly.

"She did." He agreed. "That reminds me, wasn't your mum in Ravenclaw?"

"She was. But Daddy was in Slytherin."

"Funny coincidence." Marcus smirked, his dark eyes twinkling.

Elizabeth blushed deeply, swatting him on the chest with one hand.

"Don't you get too full of yourself, Marcus Snape." She huffed, drawing away from him. "You still have a ways to go to be in my good graces again."

"At least you're speaking to me again." He sighed, smiling at her. "I'll take that."

oOo

"First things first, young lady." Madam Pince said crisply, holding her hand out. "Your wand. Hand it over, now."

"But, Nana!" Fiona protested weakly, timidly looking up at her grandmother through a curtain of jet black hair.

"Don't you 'Nana' me." The older woman thundered, causing Fiona's cat, Niffle, to scamper away to hide under the couch. "Hand it over. I have a feeling your mum will ground you for this, as well she should. What you did was extremely reckless."

With a sigh of resignation, the young witch reached into her pocket and withdrew her wand, putting it in her grandmother's hand. Madam Pince slipped it into the pocket of her dress and crossed her arms, glaring down at her youngest granddaughter.

"Now, what you have done is very serious." She sighed. "I wouldn't be surprised to see an Auror around here soon, as they would have noticed the activation of an unregistered portkey in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement."

"But I'm a student here at Hogwarts!" Fiona protested. "I'm allowed to do magic while I'm here!"

"That is true, dear. But what you are NOT allowed to do is make an unregistered portkey, nor are you allowed to use it, and most important of all, you are absolutely NOT allowed to use it to transport another person against their will! Fiona, what you did is called kidnapping!"

"But-"

"No arguing, Fiona." Madam Pince snapped. "What you did was reckless, dangerous, and it could have seriously harmed or killed Marcus! What on earth were you thinking? That it might make a fine practical joke on him?"

"He missed Elizabeth." Fiona whispered miserably, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I thought he would like to see her. I tried it out myself; I knew the portkey worked correctly. I knew it was safe. I love Marcus, I would never put my brother in danger!"

"You did what?!" Madam Pince said, horrified. "Oh, dear Merlin…"

Ominously, the flames in the fireplace turned green, and Ana Romanov-Snape stepped into the sitting room, brushing fine ash from her robes with her black-gloved hands. Fiona backed up a step, turning quite pale, trembling visibly as her mother walked toward her.

"Fiona." Ana purred, a wicked smile on her face as she towered over her petite daughter. "We need to talk, darling."

oOo

She sat nervously on her bed, having finished her tale, as her mother leaned against the mantel of the fireplace in her bedroom with her arms crossed. Right now, Fiona would much prefer that her Mum just get on with the tongue-lashing that was brewing; she knew from experience that the longer she waited the worse things usually were for her. Instead, her mother just rubbed her eyes and sighed deeply.

"I can't believe you've done this, Fiona, not once, but several times." Ana finally said, shaking her head in disbelief. She looked over at Madam Pince, who was standing in the open doorway. "No sign of Aurors, no floo calls? Not even a floo call, or an owl?"

"Nothing." Her mother-in-law said, shaking her head. "Not a peep."

"I can't believe they didn't notice it." Ana frowned. "But for now, the less said the better. I'd better floo John Worthington, see if he can quietly find out anything. I know he still has his contacts within the Ministry."

Fiona relaxed just a tiny bit, letting out a quiet sigh.

"And as for you, young lady!" Her mother snapped, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin. "You may as well get very comfortable here in your room, because you are grounded, at least until your father and I get home from Beijing."

"Mum, I didn't-"

"Fiona, darling." Ana said gently, taking her daughter by the shoulders, looking into gray eyes that were so much like her own. "Sweetheart, what were you thinking? What you did was very dangerous. Please, please, promise me that you'll never do anything like this again. It wasn't funny and Marcus could have been badly hurt."

"I'm sorry, Mum." Fiona sobbed, her chin trembling. "I just wanted Marcus to be happy again, and he and Elizabeth haven't been speaking and that isn't right-"

Ana smiled gently and sighed.

"Sweetheart," she said, "I know you think they should be together, but you need to leave it to them. No more interfering with things, no matter how much you think they need to be together, understood?"

Fiona nodded, tears streaming down her cheeks.

Taking her wand out, Ana traced a pattern on the door that glowed briefly, and then vanished. Walking to the two windows in the room, the repeated the pattern, warding the opening against any escape. Fiona sighed in resignation, sitting back down on her bed, the very picture of dejection.

"You can have the house elves bring you whatever you need," Her mother said crisply, "and since you have your own private bathroom, most all of your needs are taken care of. You, young lady, are grounded, at least until your father and I get back."

"Can't I at least have my wand back?" Fiona begged weakly.

"No. I'm still not very happy with you, and taking your wand seems to be the only way to get my point across to you, dear. So hand it over, now."

Fiona turned deathly pale, her mouth opening to protest, and then snapping shut as she thought better of it. Her cheeks colored as she began to tremble anew.

"I…I already gave it to Nana." She said nervously, looking over at her grandmother, who was standing by the door. "She has it in her pocket."

"Really?" Ana scoffed, holding her hand out toward Fiona. "_Accio_ wand."

With a smirk, she deftly caught the wand that leaped to her hand from Fiona's sleeve. Turning to her mother-in-law, Ana held up the wand for her to see.

"Oldest trick in the book, and I fell for it." Madam Pince sighed in disgust, pulling out the wand that Fiona had surrendered to her and examining it closely. "I didn't even consider that she might give me a fake."

"Next time, just check for a residual magic signature after taking it." Ana said, slipping Fiona's real wand into her robe pocket. "I deal with this kind of thing all the time in Potions classes."

Slipping Fiona's wand into her pocket, Ana walked over to her.

"Might as well give me that one, too." She said, taking the fake wand from Madam Pince. As she did, she frowned, looking closely at the wand, and then turned back to Fiona, eyebrows raised.

"Well, well…" Ana said, looking at her daughter hard after examining the wand. "This…is not a fake. Now I know what you've been spending your allowance on lately. What kind of story did it take to get Ollivander to sell you a duplicate of your wand?"

"Mum, I-"

"Be quiet!" Ana hissed dangerously, glaring down at her. "Now, I have had enough of this! Tell me, young lady, have I ever deceived you?"

"No."

"How about your father? He's a trained occlumens, and he is very good at it. He deceived everyone, even the Dark Lord himself! Does he ever lie to you?"

"No…" Fiona whispered miserably, her voice nearly inaudible in the face of her mother's wrath.

"So, just what gave you the impression that it's alright to deceive your own family, to pull pranks on them?" Ana fumed. "Whatever led you to believe that kidnapping your own brother with a portkey would be acceptable behavior?"

"Mum, I…I don't know." Fiona blurted. "I just thought I could-"

"Fiona, darling, you weren't thinking." Ana sighed. "Like your brother, you acted impulsively. But he's only reckless with himself, while you're reckless with other people. Your motives may have been pure, but you could be in a lot of trouble with the Ministry for this. Your father and I will be back by Monday morning, and we'll deal with this then. IF nobody at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement has noticed, that is."

Gathering her youngest child up in her arms, Ana gave her a hug, sighing as she did so.

"Please stay out of trouble, Fiona." She murmured softly, brushing her daughter's fine black hair back from her face so she could look her in the eye. "Behave yourself, at least until your father and I get home. Maybe we'll get lucky and no one at the Ministry noticed."

"I'll be good, I promise, Mum." Fiona said softly, sniffing back tears.

"I love you, you little troublemaker." Ana said fondly, hugging her youngest daughter tightly. "See to it that you behave yourself, at least until we get home."

oOo

"She's too young for this."

"Don't be such a grump."

John leaned on the rail of the balcony, watching Marcus and Elizabeth in the garden behind the hotel. They were sitting close together on the bench of a glider swing, heads nearly touching.

"He's kissing her." He grumbled.

"For Merlin's sake, John!" Luna sighed, marking her place and putting her book down on the bed. "Will you come to bed and stop spying on her? Let them be in love, for Merlin's sake!"

"She's too young."

"So was I, but I didn't let that stop me."

"You were twenty years old, well of age."

"I'm talking about when I first met you." She chuckled, and then turned more serious. "Marcus is only three years older than Elizabeth, John. It's not like he's too old for her."

"They're both too young, then." He grumbled. "They have no idea what they're getting into."

Luna flipped the covers back on his side of the bed, her blue eyes glaring at him.

"Come to bed. Now." She said firmly, patting the mattress next to her.

With a sigh, he limped over to the bed, sitting down on the edge with a groan and kicking off his slippers. For a moment, he just sat there on the edge.

"Come on, lie down, grumpy." Luna said gently, running her hand up his back. "I'll rub your leg for you. Did you take your pain potions?"

He nodded, and lay down next to her. She sat up, scooting close to him, and began to knead the knotted muscles in his thigh. Her strong, slender fingers sought out and unwound the cramping muscle fibers, and he sighed with relief.

"Marcus is a good boy." She said, frowning when she encountered a lump of what felt like scar tissue near his knee. "You've said so yourself."

"He's a young man, with all the urges a young man has."

"And she's a young girl, with all of the urges a young girl has. John, we raised her, we need to trust her judgment. He's been with us three nights, and he's behaved himself like a perfect gentleman."

"She's my daughter."

"She's my daughter, too." Luna said quietly, leaning down to kiss him. "Now, stop fretting so much. Marcus is nearly as scared of you as he is of his mother, and Elizabeth has a good head on her shoulders. Everything will be fine."

She lay down next to him in the bed after dousing the lights.

"What else is on your mind?" John said softly.

"Nothing."

"Don't give me that." He chuckled. "Did you think I didn't notice?"

"It's probably just some deep scar tissue."

"Probably."

"You'll go see a healer about it when we get home, right?" Luna asked, trying to hide her uneasiness.

"Just as soon as we get home." He replied. "Well, as soon as I can get an appointment."

She slid her hand over and entwined her fingers with his, squeezing his hand affectionately.

"I just don't want to lose you now." She said softly. "I fought too hard to have you."

oOo

"I had no idea I worried you that much."

"I just…I don't know what I would do if anything happened to you…"

Elizabeth just sat there silently, tears shining in her eyes, her chin trembling.

"I…I'm so sorry, Elizabeth." Marcus said hesitantly, looking at the ground, then back over at her.

"When you came off your broom and nearly hit the ground in that game with Durmstang, I thought my heart would stop." She whispered. "Don't misunderstand me; I know that you love to play Quiddich. It's just that…you scare me. I just want you to play more carefully. If you hadn't tried that Gonzales reverse so close to the ground, it might have never happened. It was reckless."

He sat there next to her on the swing, deep in his thoughts, worrying the knuckle of one thumb with his free hand.

_It was the cross-wind that tipped me off-balance_, he thought, shivering as he remembered how close it had been, the feeling of weightlessness before catching himself with one hand on his broom as the crowd looked on in horror, his boot nearly torn off by the impact with the ground. A week spent in the hospital wing, then crutches for nearly a month while his torn muscles healed.

"I know I've said this before," Marcus said softly, "but I never really understood how you felt. I…I'm sorry I scared you that time, Elizabeth. I didn't know."

"Marcus?"

He looked up at her, surprised as she took his face in her hands gently, her blue eyes huge and luminous in the moonlight.

"You can call me Lizzie, but only when we're alone." She whispered. "Call me that in public, and I'll box your ears good, you hear me?"

Then she kissed him, and he forgot about the threat.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Chapter 44~

June 21, 2018~

"Still nothing?" Ana asked anxiously as she took their coats and hung them up on the coat rack.

"No, not a peep." John Worthington said, nodding to Severus and Madam Pince as he ushered Marcus into the Snape sitting room. "As far as my contacts in the Ministry know, there has been no mention in official paperwork of a magical anomaly corresponding to an unregistered portkey in the area of Hogwarts."

"Nothing 'official'. Ana said as she took a seat on the couch, looking over at her husband, then back at John. "That worries me."

"Ana, no news is good news." Snape said, resting his hand on her shoulder. She reached up to hold his hand, frowning uneasily.

"Exactly, Severus." John nodded, propping his foot up with a sigh after Marcus slid the ottoman over in front of his chair. "Thank you, Marcus. Ana, I honestly don't think anyone noticed it. There's enough magical activity, even during the summer break, that it was easy to miss it. Trust me; the Ministry doesn't monitor Hogwarts that closely."

Ana looked over at her husband, then sighed.

"I suppose I'll have to accept your assurances about it, since you know the Ministry better than I." She said, looking back over at John. "I do hope this didn't ruin the holiday for your family."

"No, not at all." John smiled. "We enjoyed having Marcus with us, once everything was worked out."

"Did my son behave himself?" Ana said, looking at Marcus sharply.

"Like any proper gentleman." John said with a smile. "He was no problem at all. In fact, I think he and Elizabeth have properly made up."

"I was wondering if that red in his face was just sunburn." Severus smirked. "He's certainly taking good care of you, John. Must be wanting to stay in your good graces for some reason."

"Dad!" Marcus protested weakly, his blush deepening.

"Excuse me for just a moment, gentlemen." Ana said, rising from her seat and walking down the hallway that led to the bedrooms. After a short time, she returned, a meek Fiona in tow.

"I believe you have something to say to your brother, Fiona." Ana said, crossing her arms and glaring down at her.

Cautiously, the petite girl walked over to where her brother stood next to John Worthington, her hands nervously knotted in the front of her robes, her eyes on the floor. She trembled as she stood before him.

"I…I'm sorry for what I did, Marcus." She said, in a nearly inaudible voice, eyes on the floor as tears began to slide down her cheeks. "I…I was careless and didn't think. I'm glad that you didn't get hurt-"

Marcus sighed, and then gathered his petite sister in his arms, hugging her gently. She buried her face in his robes and cried, clinging to him tightly.

"Aw, Fi…shh…it's alright now." He said softly, "It all turned out alright. "Come on, I brought you something from the beach. You'll love it."

Fiona followed Marcus as he carried his bags to his room. John waited until they had gone in, and then turned to Severus, raising an eyebrow.

"So, this is the second-year who managed to make a working portkey?" John said. "Quite impressive."

"Impressive, yes." Ana huffed. "Also highly illegal, mind you."

"Don't be so harsh on her, dear." Severus said.

"You and John, peas in a pod." Ana snapped irritably. "I should have known that you two would take up for her."

"Ana," Severus sighed, moving to the liquor cabinet and retrieving glasses and a bottle of firewhiskey. "So long as she doesn't get in trouble with the Aurors for this, I wouldn't worry too much about it. John, would you care for a drink?"

"I'll sit down and visit, Severus, but I'll pass on the drink."

Snape poured himself a glass, and then sat down on the couch next to Ana, who promptly kicked off her slippers and put her feet in his lap. John sat down in Severus' favorite chair, glad that he'd been offered it.

"Are you still having problems with your leg?" Severus asked, taking a sip of firewhiskey, trying to ignore Ana's toes wiggling against his arm.

"Some." John nodded, leaning back in the chair and shifting his bad leg on the ottoman with a grimace of pain. "Luna found a lump in my leg, just above the knee. I'll be making an appointment to have Healer Jenkins look at it tomorrow."

"I do hope it's nothing serious." Ana said, frowning. "Do you need any help from us? Do we need to watch the children for you?"

"Well, we've already hired your oldest daughter to babysit the little ones, and Madame Pince will be there to help. So in a way, you're already helping us."

"Well, don't hesitate to floo us if you need us." Severus said, frowning. "I think-oh, alright, already!"

With a sigh, Severus set his glass down and began to rub his wife's feet.

"Are you satisfied now?" He said, glancing at her. Ana smirked at him.

"She has you perfectly trained, Severus." John laughed.

"She's very pushy." Severus nodded.

oOo

November 5, 2018~

"I'm sorry, John." Healer Rupert Jenkins said softly as he sat by the bed.

Luna was standing on the other side of the bed, tears brimming in her eyes as she bit her lip to keep them at bay. All she could do was hold her husband's hand, not willing to trust herself to speak after the awful news they'd just received.

_Amputation, just above the knee._ The healer's words echoed through her mind. She felt nauseous, reaching down to the bed rail to hold herself upright.

_Amputation._ Luna forced herself to breathe slowly and calmly, closing her eyes for a moment as she fought to calm herself down. The word still lingered, feeling like an icy hand clutching her heart.

For a long moment, John just lay there in the bed, propped up on some pillows as he stared woodenly at his useless left leg. Finally, he spoke.

"How soon can you take it off?" He said, his voice cracking a bit at the end, forcing himself to clear his throat. "I…I guess the sooner we do it, the sooner I can get back to my life."

"Well, you're in no danger at this point," Jenkins sighed, "but the muscles are continuing to deteriorate. The original injuries, as well as the continued deterioration, are preventing proper oxygenation of the tissues. I'm afraid we won't be able to save your knee…it…it's too far gone. We can take it off any time you're ready."

"Could we have a few minutes alone, please?" John said to the healer, who nodded and left the room.

He looked over at her, fear in his hazel eyes.

"John, you know I love you." Luna blurted out, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I know." He said softly.

"I'll always love you. No matter what happens."

"Even if I only have one leg?" He said, smiling gently.

"Even then, darling." She said, her voice cracking a bit. "Always."

oOo

April 10, 2020~

"I…I just can't do this, Marcus."

"Why?"

"I wouldn't stand in the way of what you want to do." Elizabeth said, blocking the door with her shoulder. "But I can't go on seeing you, not with you working as an Auror. I don't think I could bear it if something were to happen to you-"

"You're worried that something might happen to me? Elizabeth, what happened to your dad was just a fluke, not likely to ever happen again-"

Her eyes darkened, and she moved to shut the door, glaring up at him when he blocked it with his hand. With a subtle movement of her hand, she warded the entryway with a repulsion charm, her chin lifting in stubborn defiance of her estranged boyfriend. Marcus yanked his hand out of the opening with a hiss of pain, then, gritting his teeth, jammed it right back where it was to keep her from shutting the door, ignoring the stinging pain of the charm. Black eyes pleaded with bright blue ones, begging for reconsideration.

"Lizzie, please-"

"Don't." She said, holding up one hand, looking away from him. "It's over, Marcus. It was good while it lasted, but you have your life to lead, and I'm stepping aside. I can't handle it."

With that, she pushed his hand away and shut the door, snapping the deadbolt into place. He continued to knock on the door, begging, pleading with her. After hours in the rain, pounding on the door until his hands bled, Marcus finally gave up. Shoulders slumping in dejection, he slowly walked away, pausing only a few times to look behind him at her door.

Finally, with a sigh of exasperation, he walked away. When he reached the apparition point, he looked back one last time, hoping she'd changed her mind. After taking a deep breath, he vanished, apparating away.

On the other side of the door, Elizabeth slid down to sit on the floor and wept quietly, holding her face in her hands.

oOo

January 12, 2021~

"It's pretty bruised up." Luna scolded her husband. "You need to rest it throughout the day, like Healer Jenkins said to. I don't know why you're so stubborn about things like this."

"I have responsibilities." John replied calmly as he leaned back on the couch in their sitting room. "I have to teach six classes a day, supervise the fine students of Slytherin house, and also help Minerva with her administrative duties. There's not much time to sit down and rest."

"She's grooming you, you know."

"I don't want the job." John sighed, wincing when her hands touched a tender spot on his stump. "She can find someone else."

"You would be a wonderful Headmaster." Luna continued, pressing her case. "You're fair, you're respected by all the students, you-"

"Careful, dear. You're starting to sound like Severus and Ana. She should consider being Headmistress, I know that Minerva's discussed it with her."

"She'll never do it, and you know it."

"She's ideal for the position, much better qualified than I am."

"But she's married to Severus Snape, and will not do anything that might bring more attention to him. You know how protective she is of him. If she were to become Headmistress, the Snape haters would be out in force, and she'd have to deal with them."

"Like a she-bear defending her cubs."

"Exactly." She sighed, wiping the excess ointment off her hands. "Hand me the compression stocking, please."

"I can do this myself, you know."

"I want to help you. Besides, Elizabeth is taking care of breakfast for the twins, and Ian's already off to school."

"I'm worried about her." He sighed, frowning.

"I am, too. She hasn't been the same since she broke up with Marcus. I was talking to Ana just the other day, and it seems he's been sent to Estonia, then on to Latvia to work a case. She puts up a brave front, but I can tell as a mother, she's worried sick about him."

"Harry will take good care of him." John said, wincing as she rolled the compression stocking onto his stump. "He should be able to; I trained him, remember?"

"Did I hurt you?"

"No." He lied. She frowned at him, her blue eyes darkening with concern.

"Liar." She said, looking up at him from where she knelt on the floor.

"Time to put on the anchor, I guess." He said, trying to lighten the mood. Stretching out his hand, he _accio'ed_ his prosthetic leg from where it stood in the corner, catching it easily.

"It's better than you dying of septic poisoning." Luna said softly, though there was an edge to her voice.

"I'm just making a joke." He said, fitting the leg to his stump and buckling it on. "But that's not what's upsetting you. We already hashed all that out six months ago."

She sat on the floor before him, toying with the flannel that she'd used to clean the ointment off her hands, saying nothing.

"Come on; tell me what's eating at you, love."

"It's Elizabeth." Luna sighed, slowly twisting the flannel into a rope. "She's worrying me with this…this behavior. She just mopes around, just going through the motions of daily life. She goes to her job, comes by in the evenings for supper, and goes back to her flat. You ask her what's wrong, she just smiles, and laughs, says she's fine, that there's nothing wrong. But…I know our daughter…the spark is gone from her eyes. She's just going through the motions, acting like everything is fine, but it's taking a terrible toll on her."

John nodded gravely.

"Should I talk to her?" He asked, tightening the straps on his leg. "Or do you think…perhaps it's my leg that's got her thinking this way?"

"Might be." Luna shrugged, neatly folding up the flannel. "I think it upset her more than she let on when they had to take your leg off. While you were under anesthesia, she was really agitated, as if she was afraid you might not waken."

"You know you're just going to wash that." He teased her, leaning over to stroke her cheek.

"I know." She smiled wanly up at him. "It's just something to do with my hands. Anyway, I just feel so helpless. I want to help her, to reach out to Marcus and shake some sense into him, but I don't feel that I should interfere."

Leaning down to her, he kissed her.

"Stop worrying so much, dear." He said, stroking her cheek. "It will all work out, somehow."

oOo

March 23, 2023~

"Hello, Elizabeth."

She turned from the rack of robes to see Professor Romanov-Snape approaching, the proprietress of the store giving Ana a nervous glance.

"Um…hello, Professor." Elizabeth said, fighting to keep the nervousness out of her voice.

"Lovely weather, isn't it?" Ana said, examining the weave of one of the robes. "It's as if spring has arrived early in Hogsmeade."

"Um…yes, ma'am."

"My dear girl, we have a mutual foe, so to speak." Ana said quietly. "No need to be nervous around me. Neither of us likes Marcus working as an Auror."

"It's not my business, Professor." The younger woman blushed. "He's free to do as he pleases. I have no claim on him."

"Nonsense, Elizabeth." Ana replied, taking her by the arm and leading her outside. Unwillingly, Elizabeth found herself marched down the street and into the Three Broomsticks, where she was led to a table in the back.

"Sit down, young lady." Professor Romanov-Snape said crisply, pointing to a chair with a black leather gloved finger. Elizabeth sat down immediately, trembling slightly. She'd never had to face the formidable potions professor completely by herself before. As if by magic, Madam Rosemerta appeared with two butterbeers, setting them on the table before them just as Professor Romanov-Snape took her seat.

"Professor, I'm not much for drinking-"

"You will today." Ana sighed, taking a sip of her butterbeer. "I'm not in a mood to drink alone. Besides, that will hardly affect you, and you're well of age."

Elizabeth obediently took a sip of her butterbeer, very aware of the older woman watching her.

"My son," Ana said softly, leaning toward her, "was not meant to be an Auror. He is just doing this to spite me, because I disapproved of it. Because he chose this path, he has caused you and I a great deal of pain."

"Did my father put you up to this?" Elizabeth said, trying to show some measure of defiance despite her fear of the woman across the table from her. Her confidence seemed to drain away when Professor Romanov-Snape only smiled thinly, her grey eyes narrowing slightly.

"No. Has John spoken to you about it?" Ana asked, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms.

Elizabeth shook her head, and then picked up her butterbeer with a trembling hand to take another drink.

"Elizabeth, I'm not your enemy." Ana said gently, giving her a warm smile. "You have nothing to fear from me. Our cause is the same; we both want Marcus to come home, to stop chasing after hooligans who misuse magic."

"But…it's what he always wanted to do-"

"No, he did it to spite me." Ana sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I was always too harsh with him, too demanding, and he rebelled against me. I wanted him to continue his studies, to become a potions master like his father…and my dreams for him backfired on me."

Ana drew a deep breath, considering whether she should continue, pursing her lips. Finally, she went on.

"Elizabeth, he's miserable. He flooed me from Onguryona just last weekend, and I can tell that he's unhappy. He asked about you, you know."

"He did?"

"Yes." Ana said, watching her carefully. "I know you two had a fight before he left for his assignment in Kiev. I don't need you to tell me what it was over, as I think I can guess."

Elizabeth said nothing.

"You broke up with him because you're afraid he's going to get hurt, just like your father was. Yet at the same time, you feel that you have no right to forbid him to follow his dream. Am I correct?"

Biting her lip, Elizabeth nodded.

"Have you owled him?" Ana asked gently.

"No." Elizabeth said, her voice barely audible.

"Send him an owl. Tonight."

"But what should I say?"

"Nothing much. Just ask him how things are going, ask about the weather. Open a dialogue with him."

"And how is that supposed to help?"

"It's planting a seed, my dear. He will realize that he misses you…and that you miss him."

"I…I can't do that, Professor." Elizabeth sputtered, blushing deeply.

"Don't be a fool, girl. You miss him, and everyone around you can tell. What's worse, everyone around you is walking on eggshells, afraid to say anything out of line to you. We all know you're miserable, and that you miss Marcus terribly. At the same time, you are the only person who can fix this."

"He hasn't owled me."

"True, he hasn't." Ana said, taking another sip of her butterbeer. "All the same, I know my son, and he's missing you terribly. Badly enough that he's talking about resigning."

"Resigning?" Elizabeth gasped, her blue eyes widening. "I thought being an Auror was all he'd ever wanted to do!"

"His father and I visited him Budapest last weekend. The only subject that we discussed over lunch that he seemed to take any interest in was when I mentioned your being accepted to graduate school."

Elizabeth dropped her eyes, avoiding the Professor level gaze.

"Dear girl, please." Ana said softly. "Owl him. What harm could it do? Just ask him how he is, how he's doing. Show him that you care. Because I know you do."

She hesitated for a moment, and then nodded her head. Looking over at the Professor, her blue eyes moist with tears, Elizabeth bit her lip to keep from crying.

"You're right, Professor." She whispered in an unsteady voice. "I do miss him."

Ana reached over with a black gloved hand, taking her hand in an affectionate clasp.

"I know that, dear. The butterbeers are on me." Ana smiled. "I think there's a post office right around the corner, you can owl him now if you like. I think we're finished here."

oOo

_Dear Marcus,_

_I hope this letter finds you doing well. I spoke to your mother today; she mentioned that she and your father visited you in Budapest over the weekend._

_Where do I begin…?_

_First, I'm sorry. I needed to say that, Marcus, after the way we parted. I was completely unfair to you, and I apologize for that._

_I needed some space, some time away from you. I won't deny that your chosen profession worries me greatly. But I when I shut you out of my cottage, I was being selfish. I allowed my own fears to overrule my good sense._

_It's true that my father's loss of his leg, coupled with the suffering he went through from before I was born, influenced my actions greatly. I had a first row seat to witness the awful pain he experienced, even though he and Mum tried to prevent me seeing it. I couldn't help but hear him when he cried out in terror in his sleep, or his weeping afterwards as Mum hushed him._

_I can't say that I'm ready to begin anew, but I'm not opposed to it. I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for being a nagging worry-wart, fearful of everything. I care about you deeply…I miss you._

_Elizabeth_

He re-read the letter, pausing only to fetch the owl that had brought it a treat after it pecked him, annoyed that he had overlooked custom.

_I miss you._

Marcus sighed, carefully folding the letter and placing it on his nightstand next to his wand. He lay back on his lumpy mattress in the hotel room and closed his eyes, listening to the rain beat against the window panes.

With a sigh, he picked up another letter from the nightstand, unfolded it, and re-read it.

_Marcus,_

_Please don't mention any of this to your mother; she doesn't need anything else to worry about. I fell yesterday getting out of the bloody tub. Now, before you get all worried, I'm fine. It's just that I broke my damned hip, it seems. As much as I hate to admit it, I need some help, and you're the only person I trust to be discreet about it. I dare not hire a private nurse or a housekeeper, but if you could help me for a few weeks-we could say you were just visiting me. Your Mum doesn't need to know._

_Owl me back as soon as you can._

_Love,_

_Grandpa M._

He folded up the letter, tapping it on his chin thoughtfully.

_I do have enough vacation time to do it easily_, he mused. _Grandpa must be in quite a spot, that he's even asking for help. I can certainly understand why he wouldn't want Mum to know._

Picking up his pen, he wrote:

_Grandpa,_

_I'd love to come down for a visit, if you don't mind. Is this weekend too soon? I know that doesn't give you much time to get ready, but it's as soon as I can get there, and I really need to use this vacation time before I lose it. I promise I won't be a bother, and you can kick me out when you get tired of my eating your food. _

_Love, Marcus_

Sealing it with a bit of wax, he tied the letter to the leg of the owl, and opened the window to see it off. With a twinge of guilt, he eyed the other letter on his nightstand, absent-mindedly scratching his arm along the edge of the plaster cast that covered it from the elbow to the wrist.

_It's been four years that I've been an Auror_, he thought, sitting down heavily on the bed, running a hand over his face wearily. _Three years since you broke up with me. I haven't heard a thing from you, until now._

_I need to think about this, before I answer…for now, I need to sleep. I need my strength to apparate to Manarola, to Grandpa's villa, in the morning._

He picked up the letter from Elizabeth and slid it between his vest and his shirt, next to his heart. With a sigh, he lay back on the mattress and closed his eyes.

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo

~Chapter 45~

April 2, 2023

_Dear Elizabeth,_

_It was good to hear from you. I'm presently in Kiev, but tomorrow I travel to Belgorod and next week, to Vienna. My caseload is a bit lighter lately, but the Ministry seems determined to get their money's worth out of me._

Marcus paused for a long moment, holding his quill off to the side so as to not drip ink on the parchment. He'd already crumpled three pages up and burned them with _incendio_, frustrated with his efforts to write a simple letter. Everything he wrote seemed either too sentimental or too aloof, and he was acutely aware of how important the letter could be. Rubbing his eyes and stifling a yawn, he picked up his cup of strong black coffee and took a sip.

_There's no need to apologize to me for the events at your cottage. I was foolish, rude, and overbearing. I stubbornly clung to my chosen path, ignoring your distress that was a direct result of my choices. I've had time to reconsider some things. For now, I can't say much, just that I'm thinking about making some major changes. I have some things to attend to that will keep me busy for a while, but I will respond to your owls more promptly from now on. Once I'm settled in Italy, perhaps we can meet up._

_I miss you, too._

_Marcus_

With a sigh, he rolled up the letter and sealed it, affixing it to the owl's leg before opening the window for it to fly away.

_I probably should have written more, but it's best this way_, he thought as he picked up his quill and got a fresh parchment. _Hell, I don't even know if she wants to get back together…and I sure don't want her to know that I got hurt._

Picking up another piece of parchment, he dipped his quill in his inkwell and began to write again.

_Dear Grandpa,_

_I'm almost finished with my work in Kiev, and then it's on to Belgorod and after that, Vienna. Most of it is just busywork while I'm on sick leave, cleaning up details on cases yet to be prosecuted before my resignation becomes effective. I have been studying the materials and books you sent, they have been very helpful with understanding the spells needed to make the prostheses work correctly._

_How are you doing with your new hip? I hope you are healing up quickly and having no problems with it. Hopefully Mum didn't worry you too much when she visited last week. No, I don't think she suspects anything about our 'arrangement'._

_I look forward to seeing you again in three weeks, and beginning my studies in earnest with you. Oh, and no need to mention any of this to Mum and Dad for a while. I know they would be delighted to hear of my decision, but I feel it is best to master my new trade first._

_Love,_

_Marcus_

oOo

He was reading in the sitting room, having picked up his book shortly after the floo call with Marcus had ended. At least, he was trying to; Ana was sitting at the other end of the couch slowly coiling a stray lock of her hair around her finger as she studied the flames in the fireplace. After years of marriage, he could read her emotions as clearly as the book he held in his hands; something was agitating her, and it was probably Marcus.

Severus sighed, marking his place and setting _Holmes' Detailed Studies of the Plants of Central Asia_ aside on the table.

"Come on, out with it." He said. "What's bothering you?"

"What?" She said, startled out of her contemplations.

"Something's bothering you. Was it the floo call?"

Ana pursed her lips in a frown, and then nodded.

"I doubt he was calling us from Berlin." She said, frowning more when Severus smirked at her.

"Since when has he ever told us where he really was after he started working for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement?" He sighed, taking his hand and entwining it with hers. "You know that he can't really tell us where he is. Without a doubt, the call was probably routed through several proxy floos to obscure where the call came from."

"I know that." Ana said irritably. "It's just…there was just something odd about the room he was in. I can't put my finger on it, but something didn't look right. It's going to make me go mad if I don't figure it out."

"You worry too much, dear."

"I have cause to worry about that boy."

"Ana, he's twenty-five years old." Severus said gently. "Hardly a boy."

Glancing at him, she bit her lip and looked away, embarrassed that the tears came to her eyes so freely. For a long while, they sat on the couch in silence.

"Have you spoken with Elizabeth lately?" He asked, changing the subject.

"Last week."

"And?"

"Well, he wrote back to her." She sighed, tracing the back of his hand with her thumb. "She's a bit put out with him. He hardly wrote much at all, no more than a page."

"That's to be expected, isn't it? The work he's doing, he can't share much of it with her. At least they're talking again; take comfort in that."

"I suppose." Ana said, frowning. "I just wish he'd quit the Ministry. I wish he'd never taken that job."

oOo

March 2, 2025~

_Dear Elizabeth,_

_Thank you for the sweater; it is just the thing when the cool breezes come off the sea in the evenings. I enjoyed our visit, even if it was cut short by Grandpa's patronus. I suppose that I can no longer put off telling you the truth now._

_These past two years, I haven't been working as an Auror. I've been apprenticing to Grandpa in his shop, learning the craft of making prosthetic limbs. I'm sorry that I haven't been completely honest with you, but I wanted to make sure that I could successfully complete my apprenticeship and make a living first._

_I'm sorry that I had to deceive you-_

Crumpling the parchment, she muttered a string of most eloquent swear words. Elizabeth went to her bedroom in the tiny cottage that she lived in, and began to _accio_ items rapidly from her dresser and her closet. She packed a travel bag in minutes with a few artful waves of her hand, all the time mumbling under her breath. Within the hour, she had locked the door of her cottage and warded it. Picking up her bag, she made her way to the apparition point.

oOo

"Did you read the entire letter?"

"No! I packed and came down here straight away."

"Perhaps you should, before you get angry without good cause."

"You lied to me, Marcus!" She hissed, leaning forward in her chair, glaring up at him. "Again!"

"Elizabeth, I've lied to myself for years." He said, leaning against the kitchen counter. "I never really wanted to be an Auror, but your dad was an Auror, and I grew up looking up to him. I wanted to be like him."

She crossed her arms in a huff, leaning back in her chair to glare out the window, frowning at the rain beating on the panes. A shiver went through her, her teeth chattering slightly despite the blanket Marcus had wrapped around her. She brushed a stray curl from her face, tucking the damp auburn hair behind her ear.

"How's your ankle?" He asked gently, waving his wand to cast a warming charm on the blanket.

"It hurts." She replied crossly, pulling the blanket tighter around herself.

"Will you let me take a look at it? Please?"

After a moment of hesitation, she nodded.

Marcus knelt in front of her and carefully slipped her shoe off, pausing only when Elizabeth sucked in a breath with a hiss of pain. She bit her lip to keep from crying out while he gently felt around her ankle with his long, slender fingers.

"How did you do this?" He asked, half to himself.

"When I apparated here, I misjudged my landing, and I stumbled on the steps." She said, blushing angrily. "They're rather hazardous at night."

"I apologize for that. I've been rather busy lately, and neither Grandpa nor I go out of the house much. Since he had his hip replaced, I've had to help him with everything. Those back steps are on my list of things I need to do around here."

She sat silently in the chair, watching him as he carefully examined her swollen ankle. Taking out his wand, he began to chant under his breath in Latin, weaving an intricate pattern of charms around the injury that damped the pain and reduced the swelling.

"I'm still angry with you." She said.

"I know, Elizabeth." He sighed, putting away his wand and rubbing his eyes.

"You look tired." She said, reaching down to touch his hair, her voice softer now.

Marcus nodded wearily.

"I'm glad that you came, even though you hurt your ankle." He said, getting up from the floor.

"So you didn't tell me what you were doing because you were afraid you'd fail? Honestly, Marcus, how could you think I would feel like that?"

"Something like that. I…I really didn't know for sure what I was getting into, apprenticing with Grandpa. He's a rather harsh taskmaster in the shop, and that was a rude surprise. He demands perfection-"

"I thought I heard voices down here." Sir Petto said cheerfully, hobbling into the kitchen with his cane. "Hello, Elizabeth! Merlin's sakes, you're soaking wet! Are you alright, dear?"

"Fine, sir." She smiled, tucking her injured ankle under her chair to hide it. "Wasn't prepared for the rain when I arrived. How are you? Marcus tells me you had to have your hip replaced."

"Bah, he can't keep a secret long, can he?" The older man chuckled. "The worst part of the whole ordeal was when his mum found out. I thought I was going to have to ask poor old Severus to drag her out of the house. Lucky for me that Marcus was available to play nursemaid to an old man for a while."

Marcus busied himself with putting the kettle on, lighting the burner with a match and _vanishing_ it with a practiced wave of his hand.

"Would you like to take tea out here with us, Grandpa?" He asked, raising an eyebrow in a manner that put Elizabeth to mind of his father. She quickly covered her mouth so he wouldn't see her smirking at him.

"Well, if I'm not interrupting anything-"

"You're not." Marcus sighed, giving in. "The tea will be ready shortly."

Moving gracefully around the kitchen, he _accio'd_ various things; sugar, cream, biscuits, and sandwich makings.

"So, how long will you be able to visit us, dear?" Sir Petto asked, winking at her as he sat down at the kitchen table, leaning his cane against the wall. "I daresay I could let my apprentice have a little time off to show you around town, so long as he doesn't neglect his work too much."

Elizabeth choked back a giggle as Marcus turned toward the table, carrying a tray with the tea service. Placing it on the table, he silently poured for them, his jaw set in a rigidly neutral expression. He sat down in the chair between her and his grandfather, not looking at her at all.

_He's quite good at his Occulmency_, she thought, carefully picking up an egg salad sandwich and taking a small bite. _He's not fooling me. He's furious that we were interrupted._

She swallowed, and then took a sip of tea, formulating what she was going to say.

"I really don't have a set time to go back, sir." She said to Sir Petto, dabbing delicately at her lip with a napkin. "I could probably help a bit around the house for at least a few weeks, that way you and Marcus can concentrate on what he needs to learn in the shop."

"But what about your job, dear?" Sir Petto asked, glancing at Marcus. "You work in Arithmancy for the Dunning Institute, correct?"

"Yes, sir, I do." Elizabeth said, taking another sip of her tea. "However, the nature of my work is that they send me formulas to work on by owl, and I can work nearly anywhere I have a decent table and chalkboard. Usually, I just stay at my cottage in Coldingham and do my work there."

"Well, I'm sure that Marcus can find you a chalkboard around this place somewhere, my dear. Merlin knows, I have just about everything else."

Marcus remained quiet, though his expression had changed somewhat and his ears had turned a bit red. The neutral mask was slipping at the edges, despite his best efforts to keep calm and ignore the small bare foot that was slowly caressing his ankle. He chanced a glance at Elizabeth, who merely smirked innocently and took another sip of tea.

oOo

"Knut for your thoughts." She whispered, her breath tickling his ear.

They were lying in bed together; Elizabeth spooned up against Marcus' back. He sighed.

"I suppose I'm thinking that I really need to get up. It's nearly 7 a.m."

"You're no fun." She said, hugging him. "I already talked to your grandfather."

"You did? He's up?"

"Yes, of course he's up." Elizabeth smirked. "He said, and I quote, 'let Marcus sleep in a bit.' Of course, that was after I fixed him a big breakfast."

"Is there anything left?"

She pinched him, hard.

"Ouch!" He yelped, swatting her hand away as he rolled over to face her. "What was that for?"

"Just seeing how fat you were getting. You should be ashamed of yourself, eating all of your grandfather's food."

"You should see what he makes me do." Marcus scowled. "I had to clean up the attic last month. It took me three weeks to do it, with magic. It was awful."

"Stop making that awful face." She said, running her fingers along a fairly fresh scar on his chest.

"It's from Srednekolynsk." He sighed, running his fingers down her bare back, feeling her shiver under his touch.

"What?"

"Srendkolynsk. It's in Siberia somewhere, on the banks of the Kolyma river. It's where I got that scar."

Now she was trembling again, though he suspected it wasn't his touch. Looking down at her, he could see tears in her eyes as she bit her lip.

"Now, stop that, Lizzie." He said gently, gathering her to him in a hug, kissing her on the forehead.

"I didn't know-"

"No, you didn't." He sighed, hugging her closer. "It was probably best that you didn't. But that's over now, and we're together."

"Thank Merlin." She sniffled, "I've missed you so much."

oOoOoOoOoOoOoOoOo


End file.
